Senior Hayden Doyle leads WashU with 16.2 points per game. (Alexandra Acevedo | Contributing Photographer)

On the road in Memphis, Tennessee on Dec. 1, the No. 2 WashU men’s basketball team found itself up big against Rhodes College to finish off the annual Rhodes Classic competition. They were coming off a win the previous day against Colorado College and the previous week at Carroll University to leave their record at a pristine 5-0. Early on, the game against Rhodes looked like it would be much of the same. At the half, WashU was up 20 points. They proceeded to give up two separate 11-0 runs as the lead was cut to single digits. Ultimately, though, the Bears beared down and held on for a 60-54 win to stay perfect early in the season.

The Bears left the weekend with a 6-0 record, bolstering their nationally-ranked pedigree. But they struggled in games for the first time this season, unable to put teams away, particularly against Rhodes. Whether or not this persists remains to be seen, but WashU’s identity seems to be taking form.

WashU v. Carroll

Saturday, Nov. 23 at Carroll University seemed like the same script for WashU as the rest of the young season. After falling behind early in the game, the Bears took a lead halfway through the first half that they would never relinquish. Spearheaded by senior guard Hayden Doyle, who led the team with 25 points, WashU’s offense was firing on all cylinders.

“My teammates told me to come out and be aggressive versus their ball screen coverage,” Doyle said. “I was able to get to my spots and make some shots.”

The Bears’ depth once again shone, with four different players reaching double digits in scoring. First-year Connor May continued his strong debut and senior forward Drake Kindsvater provided a double-double to go along with strong defense. That defense contributed to the Bears stifling Carroll to below 45% from the field and grabbing twice as many rebounds as their opponent. 

“Rebounding is another huge emphasis of almost every game,” junior guard Yogi Oliff said. “If we can win extra possessions, we really like our chances in any game. Whether that is through defensive drills during practice throughout the week, or just emphasizing it with vocal reminders, winning the rebounding battle is something we take great pride in.”

The Bears came off the win heading down to Memphis for the annual Rhodes Classic to continue their strong start.

Rhodes Classic

In their first matchup against Colorado College, the Bears were able to pull through in the clutch to take a back-and-forth matchup that included 10 total ties and finish with a 69-63 win. 

WashU once again won the rebounding battle, but the real story of the game was the Bears’ depth coming through. Led by a career-high 19 points from May, WashU’s bench outscored Colorado’s by an immaculate 26-2 margin, ultimately necessary for the win.

“We have a very complete team,” Oliff said. “We are confident playing any 17 or so guys on the roster … the guys who have not been logging as many minutes are super bought-in and are always ready to go when their name is called.”

WashU continued their fastbreak play, as the strong emphasis on rebounding allowed the Bears to score 10 fastbreak points compared to their opponents’ zero. For the Bears, who themselves were inefficient in shooting this game, that blend of defense, rebounding, and the fastbreak can bail them out when the shots aren’t falling. 

“In basketball, the offense will not always be there, sometimes shots don’t fall,” Oliff said. “But getting it done on the defensive end will always give us a chance to stay in the game, so we really take pride in affecting the game on the defensive side.”

WashU’s defense faltered and very nearly blew the game the next day against Rhodes. Coasting with a large lead of 47-28 in the second half, the Bears let Rhodes back in the game with multiple runs and came close to their first loss of the season. It took an impressive performance from Doyle, who led the team in scoring while going 5-7 from three-point range, to salvage the win. He, along with Kindsvater, were the only players to score in double digits. Doyle’s back-to-back threes late in the second half were the dagger that iced the game.

“We are a really connected group and have great relationships with each other, which is a major part of it,” Doyle said. “We are playing hard defensively and getting stops, which leads to us getting out in transition and [getting] easy looks on offense.” 

Ultimately, the Bears came out of the road trip undefeated, underscoring their championship aspirations that become more clear with each game in the young season. Their next test will come back at home Friday, Dec. 6, against Colby College, in the 40th annual Lopata Classic, WashU’s annual home tournament. The winner of Friday’s game will play either Denison University or the University of Santa Cruz in the tournament championship Saturday at 3 p.m.