Leslie GlavinDedication and pride are words truly lived by head basketball coach John Dzik. For the past 24 years, Dzik has lead the men’s basketball team to many successful seasons. Including eight major titles in the 11 years the league the Cavalier’s are apart of existed.
Dzik loves coaching. Name it, and he’s most likely coached it. He sticks to things he likes best. Basketball being one considering he’s coached it for 29 years. The second is the home he lives in. Dzik may be one of the few that has lived in the same place his entire life. After his father retired to Florida in ’75, Dzik took over his old childhood house.
The men’s basketball team has been scrimmaging these past few weeks and is ready to start the season. A recent scrimmage against Marymount allowed the team to see its weaknesses and strengths according to Dzik.
“Every team in our division wants to beat Cabrini,” Dzik said. “There is no one rival. We’ve won the title so many times; everyone wants a piece of us.”
All fans should expect an intense season for the Cav’s. “We’ll be exciting to watch because we are going to press the whole game,” Dzik said. He went on to say that the school recruited three transfers at varsity level. Ben Easley, Marvin Lazenbury, and Wesley White are three newcomers that will have a positive impact on the team.
“The greatest aspect of our team is the depth,” Dzik said. “We don’t have any key players, everyone is key for our victories.”
An aspect to the game that is played off the court is the entire recruiting process. Dzik lives by the letters RDOR–Recruit Daily or Perish. “Our sport puts in the most man-hours out of any college sport in the entire school,” Dzik said. Men’s basketball is the most competitive sport when it comes to the recruiting process.
Dzik enjoys coaching at a division III school because of the efforts seen in his athletes. At a DIII school, the players are referred to as student-athletes, not the other way around. Therefore, they are expected to do every inch of their school work as well as put 100 percent into there team.
“In my opinion, the athletes at Cabrini put more time and work in than the regular students,” Dzik said. Dzik continued to say that the idea of a Jockocracy on campus was laughable and ridiculous.
Dzik’s biggest wish is for students to start coming out and supporting their school’s teams.
“These are your classmates who represent your school, come out and support your friends,” Dzik said.
Posted to the Web by: Toccara Buckley
