Head coach Mike Lenahan talks MBB identity, preseason, pace & space
- Ruby Hampton, Staff Writer
- 20 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Following a disappointing 2024-25 season, men’s basketball is gearing up and hoping to find more conference success as they wade through preseason under the guidance of third-year head coach Mike Lenahan.
Last season, Willamette started off strong in their non-conference games, beating Hardin-Simmons University, who traveled to the Sweet 16 in the DIII March Madness tournament, but the Bearcats were unable to hold on to that momentum and ended their season with a 3-13 conference record and a last-place conference finish.
However, in the 2023-24 season, Lenahan’s first on staff, the ʼCats surged from their 2022-23 conference tally of 1-15 to 9-7 and one placement shy of the conference tournament.
Lenahan brought on 10 new recruits last season, growing the team to its largest roster since 2016, with 22. This season is no different, as Lenahan recruited eight new student-athletes.
Offensively, Lenahan is implementing a “pace and space” system, where a team essentially pushes the ball quickly in transition to create space for shot opportunities. Aggressive defense has been a game changer for Willamette's ability to crawl back from massive point differentials and eventual wins. The ’Cats often run a full-court press, a system that suffocates opposing offensive schemes and works well with their expansive roster — the bench is deep enough to supplement starters when they get gassed.
In Willamette’s home match against Walla Walla University on Nov. 15, this tenacious defensive pressing was on full display. The ’Cats totaled 20 steals across all players and forced 23 turnovers from their opponents, efforts which ultimately helped them win the close game 90-84.
As of Nov. 24, the Bearcats lead the conference in average points-per-game and are second in 3-pointers made, which is what the strategy revolves around — spreading the floor, gassing defenses and shooting lots of 3-pointers. The Bearcats also lead the league in 3-pointer attempts, but they struggle with efficiency, making just under 30% of the 3-pointers they attempt. They’ve made 40% of their total field goals which puts them at last in the conference.
But for coach Lenahan, what matters at this point in the season is not perfection in their systems, but chemistry and trust among the team. What makes this season different from past seasons is the team’s unwavering identity, which he described after a win over Walla Walla on Nov. 15 as, “relentless pace, togetherness and competitiveness.”
“Being such a new and young team, there’s going to be some ups and downs going through it, but we always have our identity to get back to, which has helped us,” Lenahan said.
Lenahan noted that the team has a lot of love for each other, creating a positive environment where the student-athletes can lean on each other and step up to the plate when they need to.
“We know who we are offensively, we know who we are defensively, so when you get weighed down, you’re not looking around like, ‘What do we do?’” he said. “It’s like, ‘No, how do we do what we are trying to do better?’ And we’ve been able to respond to that really well.”
When the ’Cats faced Walla Walla, resilience and unity were key to sealing the win. Deacon Perry (’28) helped the team crawl back from a second-half Wolves’ surge, with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Dra Uperesa-Thoma (’28) led the team in assists, with seven, and recorded five steals.
Over the weekend, however, their trip to California ended with three losses. They will head to Newberg on Dec. 5 to take on George Fox and begin their conference campaign.