One of the most challenging aspects of building a dynasty like the Carleton Ravens men’s basketball team is dealing with roster turnover.
The roster constantly changes over several seasons as players graduate and earn their degrees.
This emphasizes the importance of recruiting as players must come in and step up as the veterans depart.
One of the latest additions to the Ravens line-up is six-foot-nine center William Kohler, from Winnipeg, MB.
Before joining the Ravens, Kohler played for his high school basketball team at Oak Park High School in Winnipeg.
“We weren’t just playing basketball for fun [at Oak Park],” Kohler said. “It was pretty competitive, not as competitive as Carleton, but that environment that we were in, it was [competitive].”
Kohler also represented his province at the 2014 17U National Championships and was named tournament MVP.
Kohler said his size, strength, and athletic ability are aspects of his game that drew attention from the Ravens.
“I started talking to one of the assistant coaches on the provincial team,” Kohler said. “I came on a visit here and I just really liked Carleton and what they do with the basketball program, not just basketball but the overall environment and going to this school to be successful in life.”
“It is just somewhere I wanted to be,” he said.
Kohler also said playing basketball at the university level is something that he never initially considered.
“I didn’t know if I was going to get any offers, but when Carleton recruited me they were the only option in my head,” he said.
The Ravens have been very successful on the court in recent years. The team has won six straight national titles, as well as 12 of the last 14.
While winning championships is important, Kohler said he aims to be just as successful off of the court.
“At the end of my U SPORTS career, I want to be able to say I got the most out of time at Carleton, and if that means I can pursue basketball after university, then that is awesome,” he said. “But if that’s not something that I really want, then I hope I can pursue something academically that I will be able to enjoy in the future.”
Since moving to Ottawa to begin university, Kohler said he now finds himself over 2,000 kilometres from home, and he has faced the challenges most young students face when leaving home for the first time.
“There are some challenges, just adjusting to university in general,” Kohler said. “The team and everything the environment is great though, they are all super supportive.”
Following their 81-40 win over the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees, Kohler and the Ravens are back on the hardwood on Jan. 20 when they take on the Guelph Gryphons at the Ravens’ Nest.
– Photo by Dan Robertson
