Many new faces this season give the Vikings Men’s Basketball team a new look for the upcoming 2023-24 season.
“We almost have a whole new team,” said head coach Ervin Anderson.
Apart from three returning players, and four others who were part of the program but didn’t play last season, the Vikings have 10 new players who will be suiting up as league play gets underway in November.
Last season, the Vikings ended the season with 18 wins and 11 losses, which was good enough to land the team in second place in the Big 8 conference. Eleven of those wins came against fellow Big 8 conference teams.
Despite the heavy roster turnover this fall, Anderson said he expects the same level of success — and hopefully even more — from the team this season.
“My expectation is that we challenge for the Big 8,” he said. “Second and first [place] is what we are looking at.”
DVC’s season begins Thursday, Nov. 2, when the Vikings go on the road to take on the Cañada College Colts. Their home opener will be Nov. 4 against College of the Redwoods.
The Vikings will play seven games in November,six games in December and January, and five final games in February. Anderson said one of the biggest matchups of the season will be Dec. 30 when the Vikings face the College of Sequoias.
“I believe our toughest game will be [College of] Sequoias,” he said, because “they were a top four team last year, and I expect them to be a top four team this year.”
Notably, the Vikings will begin playing home games in a sharply redone arena that features a new court and new stands for the fans, which may encourage more students to attend games.
“The gymnasium, through the Measure E Project, was gutted and redone with a new floor, new baskets, and new bleachers,” said DVC Athletic Director Christine Worsley.
The old gymnasium, she said, had outdated infrastructure and wasn’t up to par for college basketball.
“Now we are very competitive in terms of facilities with other colleges in the Bay Area,” Worsley added.
Though the team remains untested, Anderson said he’s confident the Vikings will be competitive — and the games will be action-packed — once they take the court.
“If you want to see some high level basketball with high pace, and students in character that can showcase the skills that a college team showcases, you are going to want to watch our games,” he said.