The 2014-15 Park University Men’s Basketball Team is off to a 1-3 record to start its season.

The Pirates have had a tough start to the year having faced three top 25 ranked opponents in their first four games.

With a 1-3 record, the Pirates have played relatively well with three of their four games decided by less than 10 points. Their lone win came against No. 11 ranked MidAmerican Nazarene University with a final score of 65-61. The team has suffered two of its losses to No. 4 ranked Benedictine College including a nail-biting season opening 56-52 lose at Breckon Sports Center.

Junior point guard B.J Watson has been leading the way for the Pirates in the early stages of the season. The 5-foot, 9-inch Kansas City native and Hutchinson Community College transfer is averaging 15.3 points per game along with 2.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game.

The Pirates have also had major contributions from forwards John Kostanos and Freddie Manyawu. Kostanos, a 6-foot, 11-inch tall junior hailing from Thessaloniki, Greece, has had a good start to the year averaging 8.5 points per game with 7 rebounds per game.

Manyawu has had an equally solid start to the year. The 6-foot, 4-inch junior from Harare, Zimbabwe, has averaged 9.5 points per game and 6 rebounds per game. Kostanos’ presence in the paint along with Manyawau’s athleticism and leaping ability has both helped them make positive contributions thus far.

The Pirates have also been without 2012-13 Freshman of the Year and 2013-14 AMC Player of the Year Xavielle Brown. Brown, from Fort Wayne, Ind., suffered a broken foot during a practice session prior to the start of the season. The 6-foot, 2-inch forward averaged 20 points per game in his 2013-14 sophomore season and will surely add some potency to the Pirate offense upon his return in the coming weeks.

The Pirates have also been without newcomer Mylin Jordan who’s been held out of play till second semester. The 6-foot guard, who hails from St Louis, averaged 9.8 points per game helping Mt. San Jacinto College in California reach the CCCAA State Playoffs in 2012-13. The 23-year-old junior transfer will add experience and previous success in big situations as Jordan averaged 10.9 points per game in conference games at MSJC.

With both players carrying experience and a knack for scoring, they will be key weapons for the Pirates when their returns to the court are made.

The Pirates continued their season and looked to open up conference play on a winning note with games on Nov. 20, against 1-2 Williams Baptist College. The next game you can see will be at 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22 at the Breckon Sports Center against 3-1 Lyon College.