Donk Donk…Donk Donk…Swoosh! The familiar sound of basketball can be heard once again. Coming off a very successful 13-3 season last year, Cooper Union's Varsity Basketball Team is ready to carry the momentum with them through this year.
With seven new players joining led by three new captains, Milo Dochaw, Tom Suchicki, and Jessica Stammen, Dean Steven Baker feels optimistic about his Varsity Team. Each co-captain represents one of the three buildings; Milo Dochaw is an Engineering major, Tom Suchicki is an Architecture major, and Jessica Stammen is an Art major. Dean Steven Baker feels that each of the three seniors are very deserving and were not chosen coincidentally from each of the three schools for the purpose of being politically correct.
The team practices at Baruch Junior High School on Friday nights for approximately two and half hours. They are getting prepared for the season which starts at the beginning of November and ends sometime toward the end of February. Although Cooper Union does not have its own gym and is strangled by a frugal budget of $32,000 for its five Varsity Teams, The Wolverines, led by Dean Baker have no problem playing to win. To get an idea of how economical the budget is for sports activities at Cooper Union, the total spending amount is only 0.8% of Florida State's budget, according to a New York Times article.
Dean Baker highly complements his players on his Varsity Basketball Team. Even though the team has met for only three weeks, each of the fifteen players is knowledgeable enough to play each of the five offensive and defensive positions. "It is more challenging for me because I have to try to get ahead of the game," said Dean Baker. "They come in expecting to learn something and wanting to be taught. It makes me want to be more creative. That's what makes it beautiful."
What is truly remarkable about the Varsity Basketball Team is that the overall G.P.A. is about a 3.6. Before Caltech joined the division three years ago, the team's toughest rivalry used to be Webb. To get a sense of how competitive the games are between Caltech and Cooper Union, for the past three years, Cooper Union has won two of the three games, by a margin of not more than three points. Dean Baker feels confident about his upcoming game against Webb. "Unless they come with a bunch of freshmen," he said, "we're ten points better than them."
Dean Baker's enthusiasm is contagious. Formerly a professor, he knows how to prepare. In order to bring the pain to opposing teams, Dean Baker will spend at least two hours "preparing like crazy" every single night so that he can explain strategies and questions that may come up during practice. He believes that there is an "educational exchange" during games and practices and teaches as if he was teaching a five credit course. With that kind of dedication, Dean Baker's success as a coach seems self explanatory.
He tries to encourage his players through his sense of humor. "I complement them to death to encourage them. If they play bad, I don't pick on them publicly. I fool around and make jokes like 'Your feet are too slow, I can get by you'." During the interview, Dean Baker tried to explain how "remarkable" his players are by reminiscing about an event. During a close game, the Varsity Basketball Team was losing by three points. He told one of his players, "John, I don't know who to put you in for." Dean Baker remembers him "turning white as the wall." "After a moment, he put himself in for Andrew. He got a steal, lay up, and scored. All of a sudden we were up by four points. It's incredible." That is just one of many stories Dean Baker has to show his player's attitude toward the game. "They know playing ball is the single most difficult thing a student can do in Cooper Union," he said. "They use their time and commitment in such an unselfish way."
When asked about the strength of the team, Dean Baker did not hesitate to endorse his players. "Our strength is from neck up." he said, commenting on their big basketball brainpower. Dean Baker believes he "is the luckiest guy in the world." He explains, "I have a bunch of scholars that are interested in increasing their knowledge. They have that same intensity they have in the classrooms. I am not faced with problems other coaches have. They don't do it for recognition or own personal satisfaction. They are the greatest ambassadors a school can ever have." »»