Stapled to the Amherst men's locker room door, in bold black lettering, a sign reads "NCAA 2011 — every day, every play, no excuses." The motto can be seen on t-shirts and signs across campus. It is recited habitually in team meetings. They are words that the Amherst men's basketball team lives by, serving as a constant reminder of what their goal for this season is, what they're working so hard to reach and, most importantly, that there are no off-days.
Sure enough, the Lord Jeffs have yet to suffer a letdown. Twenty one games into the season, the team has not been beat.
The record (21-0) speaks for itself. Perhaps more impressive than the number of wins, however, is the fashion in which they have earned them. The team's average margin of victory is a shade over 23 points. Eighteen of their 21 wins have come by double-digit margins. They have won two games by more than 50 points. And all five of their starters average double-digit point totals. They are not just beating their opponents, they are pummeling them into submission.
Coach David Hixon, now in his 34th year with the program, is not surprised by his team's rampant success this year.
"Every player on this team has a really good basic understanding of the game," Hixon said. "They understand spacing, how to move without the ball and all the little things that are required to win basketball games. … These guys know that we have to remain focused day in and day out. I have the greatest respect for every NESCAC opponent. If you don't, you will lose. It's that simple."
Hixon's modest mentality has trickled down to each member of the Amherst squad. Senior co-captains Connor Meehan and Kurt Bennett speak before every game, pumping up their teammates and ensuring that they remain focused and ready to go. Meehan, who has been named NESCAC Player of the Week twice this year, has backed up his words on the court, averaging 13.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. And while the team is aware of the goose egg that fills the loss column, pursuing an undefeated season is the last thing on their minds.
"We're just trying to survive every day," Hixon said. "Our goal right now is to qualify for the 2011 NCAA tournament. Once we do that, we'll take it from there."
Hixon has little reason to worry, at least this season. The Lord Jeffs are well on their way to qualifying for the tournament, possibly as a No. 1 seed. The team currently sits just two games shy of the school's all-time longest win streak of 23 games, a mark set in 2007. Furthermore, this year Hixon, who boasts a 612-243 record at Amherst, may achieve the one thing that has eluded him throughout his entire career: an undefeated season.
"The numbers look great, but we're not motivated by records and stats," Meehan said. "We still have that bad taste in our mouths from losing 11 games last year. That taste is what drives us. That taste is what has kept us on our toes. That taste is what will carry us forward as we approach the tournament."
