At the end of last season, the CWU men’s basketball team faced many obstacles. The team had to find a new head coach after the release of long-term head coach Greg Sparling, and had to deal with losing players to season-ending injuries and graduation. Many considered this a rebuilding stage for the program, but with the hiring of new head coach Brandon Rinta, the program is off to a great start.

Rinta coached at Lewis-Clark State College for seven seasons. There, he accumulated a 164-62 record, the best win-to-loss ratio in the school’s past 50 years. Officially hired for CWU on April 18th, Rinta is hopeful that his winning touch will follow him here.

“There’s a lot of similarities between LC state and Central Washington,” Rinta said. “It starts with the people you surround yourself with. I had a tremendous administration there, and I feel like we have that here.”

The administration may have stayed the same, but the team is facing a new lineup. Freshman phenom Khalil Shabazz transferred to the University of San Francisco after being named GNAC Men’s Basketball Freshman of the Year.

6-foot-7 redshirt freshman Coleman Sparling also transferred, at the conclusion of the season, to College of Southern Idaho. Senior guards Marc Rodgers and Jawan Stepney played a pivotal role in the team’s success in prior years and enjoyed their last games at the Pavilion last season before graduating.

With 10 new faces on the team, four being incoming freshmen, it may take some time to build chemistry. However, Rinta likes what he has seen thus far.

“I feel good about the group of guys we were able to add to the returners that we have here. They have a great attitude and have been working really hard,” Rinta said.

Incoming freshmen Zellie Hudson, Lewis Pope, Matt Poquette and Marcus Austin all came in hoping to contribute to a roster filled with potential.

“I’m loving our guys. It’s just one big happy family,” Austin said. “We spend a lot of time with each other. When we’re not together, we’re all playing Fortnite together.”

Senior guard Malik Montoya is one of only three seniors on the young team. Usually the most confident of the group, he was unsure about the team coming into the season, but now sees the potential this team has.

“I thought it was going to be a rough start but I’m getting along with all my teammates. I feel like we’re going to be just fine,” Montoya said.

The team is anxious to start official practice on Oct. 15. This year’s season opener is a date with powerhouse Gonzaga University on Nov. 1, a Division 1 school with a history of winning.

“The great thing about a game like that is there is nothing that we as a coaching staff need to do or say to get them ready for that,” Rinta said. “It’s gonna be a special opportunity for them to go play a top five team in the country. It’s going to be a good test out of the gates.”

It is going to be one of the hardest games in every player’s career. For Austin, it offers a chance at redemption.

“In high school, I lost to Gonzaga Prep in my state title game, so it’s going to be a revenge match for me. I’m looking forward to that,” Austin said.

The new team is eager to get the season started. With a new set of challenges this year, the men’s basketball team is out to prove themselves.

“We’re just as good as anybody,” Montoya said.