Bulldog Blitz: Dunkin’ Dogs reaching for unfinished business in March

Ruston, La. (KTVE/KARD) — This week’s Bulldog Blitz sponsored by Jim Taylor Ford in Ruston focuses on the rebuild for Louisiana Tech men’s basketball head coach Talvin Hester has on his hands after bringing in eight new players to the roster for the upcoming season. After beginning their summer workouts on Monday, the team has last year’s loss to Middle Tennessee lingering on their mind as motivation to reach new heights.

The Bulldogs finished the season with 22-10 record last season, but found their postseason hopes to flame out after being eliminated in the Conference USA Tournament Quarterfinals, and returning players like Louisiana Tech Senior Center are putting lofty expectations on their shoulders.

“My only expectation is to go to the march madness, that’s what I want to do, go to March Madness and win more games than last year,” said Batcho.

His fellow running mate, Louisiana Tech junior guard Sean Newman Jr. also has the bad taste of last year’s defeat left in his mouth, but he plans to replace it with big team goals.

“We left something on the table, and losing the championship on our home floor is something that we still think about. It’s going to be a new year and a new season, so we can’t look too far back on it and look down on it, but we just have to learn from it and use that as experience,” said Newman Jr. “Be champions of the day, and not thinking too far ahead of the season, just be a champion of today.”

Hester also expressed that if the team has desires of improving on their 2nd place finish in the conference from last year, the coaching will need to use the offseason to gain work ethic and trust.

“If we’re not hard on them early in the year then we’ve cheated them. How can I expect great things from them later in the year if we don’t push them now? I think we have a group that we can grind. I told them pressure burst pipes or make diamonds, and you can either be a pipe or a diamond but we’re going to figure that out here in the offseason and we’re going to rock with the diamonds later in the year,” said Hester. “I’m excited about the group, and we’re going to coach them harder, we’re going to be on them. It’s not because they’re a bad group, it’s because we think they’re a special group.”

The Bulldogs missed out on a postseason tournament last season, but from the sound of it they are not looking to reach for the stars, they would much rather be playing in March to create a little madness.