Men's Basketball

Season’s Wrap

The 2017/18 season turned out to be one of unfulfilled expectations as a young but talented Thunderbirds team, expecting at least a trip to the playoffs, fell short with a season record of 11-17 and 6-8 in league play, tied for 4^th place in the NWAC West Division and finishing one game out of a playoff spot.

Considering that the team consisted of nine freshman and two sophomores, the expectation was that it would take time for the team to learn to play together.  This seemed the case when the T-Birds, starting off 5-9 in non-conference games, won three of its first five games in league play. However, the squad hit a rough patch with four consecutive losses, which turned out to be the pivotal point of the season.  Winning three of their next four games gave the team a shot to squeak into the playoffs, but a road loss at Centralia in their last game ended the season for good.

There were highlights from the year, including the promise of returning freshmen David Harris, Coby Rothwell, Steffun Singleton, and Travis Rice, the four players who led the team in minutes played for the 2017/18 season.   Their return, along with a solid recruiting class and redshirt freshmen, could quickly return the Thunderbirds back to their winning ways.

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The Year in Photos 2017/18

David Harris

Named to the First Team All-Stars in the NWAC Western Division.  Averaged 19.6 points and 8.4 rebounds in 36 minutes a game. Shot 48.7% from the field, 41.4% in 3-pointers, 80.2% in free throws. Ranked 3td in the league in minutes played per game, 8th in rebounding, 12th in points per game.

Desmond Hudson

Named to the All-Defensive Team for the NWAC West Division.  Sophomore played in 26 games as a starter and off the bench.  Led the team with 1.3 blocked shots per game.

Highline Men’s Basketball Team 2017/18