“Our confidence is not shaken. It’s a little stirred, but not shaken,” said Head Coach Isaiah Cavaco on the men’s basketball team’s 0-5 start. “The expectations were higher this year.”

The team has yet to really click; the first-years are still adjusting to a higher level of competition and new teammates. The closest game so far this season was a 19-point loss in the opener against Swarthmore.

Oberlin’s opening 62-81 loss showed the team’s inefficiency on the offensive end and its inability to keep Swarthmore off the boards.

The Yeomen’s next game the following day was another disappointment: Haverford held them to a season-low 35 points and they shot only 30 percent from the field. One of the few bright spots of the game was the play of first-year James Tompsett, who led the Yeomen with 13 points and five rebounds.

Tompsett’s play caught the coach’s eye, and Cavaco said that other first-years have followed suit.

“We have seen improvement from our freshmen, which is what the team desperately needs,” he said.

It went from bad to worse for the Yeomen in their home opener against Thomas More, recording the team’s worst loss of the season, 83-45. Senior Jordan Beard led the team with an impressive 21 points,.

“Jordan has played really well, getting back to his healthy form,” explained Cavaco. “He was hurt all first year and sophomore year.”

To succeed, the team needs more consistent scoring from players.

Oberlin played a better game against Wilmington College in a 78-50 defeat, shooting a much improved 42 percent from the field. Despite the improved shooting percentage, however, the final result was still the same.

Oberlin’s woes continued against Case Western, as the Yeomen lost 51-88. The team was led again by Beard, who had 17 points. The Spartans had a 26-0 run late in the first half, which buried any hope Oberlin had of coming back to the game. Cavaco has been frustrated by this reoccurring problem.

“There has been a decisive turning point late in the first half where the other team strings together some sort of run we can’t overcome,” said Cavaco.

Another problem Oberlin faces is too many turnovers. In the game against the Spartans, Oberlin had a whopping 22.

Hopefully, as the season progresses, the team will become more comfortable. Oberlin has yet to play any conference opponents and Coach Cavaco is confident that the Yeomen can turn things around. Oberlin hosts Adrian College on Saturday’s Hawaiian night.