Bulldogs set to begin season with gritty, fighting mentality

Column by Carly Grenfell

Three words: It’s game week.

I usually start an obnoxious countdown until our first game, but I’ve been able to hold off for a while this year. Although I’m not sure it’s the healthiest approach.

How I feel right now is comparable to someone five cups of coffee deep waiting in line for a new puppy.

I think I’m speaking for our whole team when I say we cannot wait to hit the Knapp Center floor for the first time on Friday.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a new year, a new team and a new season. But looking back on our 2012-2013 season, it was a rollercoaster. And even so, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Would we have liked a higher number in the win column? You bet.

But last year the foundation was set. Last year we learned. Last year we grew. Last year we competed.

This year? We build on that.

It’s tough for us to promise an undefeated season or a Missouri Valley Conference Championship, but what we can promise is an excited team that will figure out whatever it is we need to win.

We’ve talked a lot about grit this year. That when the going gets tough, we dig deeper.

We turn the knife.  We don’t back down to anyone. Instead, we jab.

Our fighting gloves are on. We are locked and loaded.

It will be a special season, I can tell you that.

We have nine returners on an 11-player roster. And even better, the two freshmen only continue to get better.

How quickly they have acclimated has been impressive.

We have a ton of experience to build on, but they are leaps and bounds ahead of where we all stood as players in a new system last year.

They may be freshmen, but you would never know it.

If we continue to string together great practices and improve upon each of our individual weaknesses, the wins will start to take care of themselves.

After our exhibition game this Friday, we open the season with Creighton.

This will be a huge test. It gives me goose bumps thinking of what a great opportunity it is to play an NCAA team on our home floor.

Stay tuned, Bulldog nation. You’re in for a treat. WE JAB!

Grenfell is a senior public relations and management double major and can be reached at carly.grenfell@drake.edu