Bisons basketball alumnus, Elijah Lostracco, has returned to the basketball team as an assistant coach for the first time.
During his playing days, Lostracco brought his experience by helping the Bisons to a program record of 18 conference regular season wins in 2022-23.
Coach Lostracco talked to the Manitoban about preparation for Bisons basketball ahead of the new season, his return, role on the bench and how student-athletes could stay disciplined.
The Manitoban: Coach, first of all, let’s look at the Bisons basketball, how is preparation going so far for the team?
Elijah: It’s good. We started at the end of August and we’ve been going strong five, six days a week ever since. Beginning of the season, especially with like a young team, it always has its challenges. The coaches have been trying to watch a lot of game film, make a lot of adjustments just to prepare them as best as they can. We start pre-season in two weeks. So, like I said, we got a lot of young guys on the team and just making sure they’re ready for their first pre-season games.
M: We have yet to play a competitive game or the season has yet to start, but so far looking at preparation, are we on course? Are we on board to do something better when the season commences?
E: Yeah, for sure. That’s always the goal is to build off of last year. It’s hard to say, you know, if we’re going to be better or what not. […] It’s always hard to say like whether you’re going to be better than last year until you’ve actually played the games, but that’s always the goal is to revisit what worked and what didn’t work last year and make our adjustments and then just try to be better moving forward.
M: Looking at the players, are they in good shape? Are they in a good mood ahead of the commencement of the season?
E: Yeah, practices have been really competitive. The guys are working hard in the off-season, so there’s no worries about any of that. Guys not being in shape or anything. They all work hard in the off-season and that’s our job as coaches is to get them in shape and ready for the regular season.
M: I know it is or it will be the purpose or the ambition of any side to better what they did last season. Is that the same way or does that apply to Bisons basketball?
E: For sure. Every year we’re trying to build off and give the guys a better experience than the previous year. Like I said, the guys were working hard in the off-season to improve their games. Then, I was in the gym with them as soon as I got hired and other coaches as well have been preparing all summer to have a better season this year.
M: What is it that we can do better in order to be able to conquer our opponents when the season starts?
E: I just think a big part is all in the preparation, so as coaches we watch a lot of game film, we prepare a scouting report, and then we relay all that information to the guys. After that, it’s on them to be prepared. Any information we give them, they can to the best of their ability execute that and go out and play a good game. Just a lot of game film and knowing your opponent and then just making a game plan that’s going to give them the best opportunity to succeed on the court.
M: This time you didn’t come as a player, you came as an alumnus Bison. You are coming in as a technical man. How is the feeling like for you?
E: Good. It’s been an adjustment. I always tell people I think coaching is harder than playing. There’s so much more to it, so many aspects to it and then just trying to get all the guys to buy in and be on the same page. But I think I have good basketball knowledge. I have good basketball experience, so I can offer a little bit of a different perspective.
And then really my main job is just to be training the guys. I’m like a player development coach, so just understanding the opponent we’re going to play every week and then getting in with the guys after practice hours, before practice hours and then giving them little details that they can add to their game for the upcoming week. Or, you know, if it’s guys that are not getting much minutes, just trying to improve their game as best as possible. When I was a player, I was always in the gym training, trying to get my game better. So, I’m excited to be able to come back here and share some of my knowledge with the guys this year.
M: I’m picking your own words. You did say that you have experience, you have knowledge in basketball. So, what do you intend to bring on board now that you are a technical man and not a player?
E: Yeah, honestly, just like all the good habits that it takes to be a winning team, a winning player, just always being in the gym, watching game film, staying in shape, just keeping sharp as a player. There’s a lot of little details that can go into it that some guys might not have learned yet, or some guys just need or would like to have a coach there, kind of guiding them along that path. So, I played here and we had a very good season in my last year. And so just kind of bringing back some of those winning habits to the team.
M: As a former player of the Bisons basketball, what would you say about the program? You’ve experienced it before, what would you say that may convince a potential player to join the Bisons program?
E: Yeah, well, for me, I’m not from Winnipeg. I moved here from Toronto during COVID to play for this team […] like I always tell people, like U of M has one of the best basketball programs in the country, without a doubt. Just in terms of the facilities, the experience of the coaches here, the funding for our program, especially the alumni that have been doing a great job helping fundraise to give the players and the coaches a better experience. Coach Schepp is an amazing coach, definitely one of the top coaches in the country. I think that’s all you look for in a university program. You have experienced coaching staff, you have the funding, you have the facilities, you can get a great education. And the team has been nationally ranked for the past two seasons, two or three seasons. And one of the top teams in their conference, right. So just in terms of all those things, I don’t see why you wouldn’t want to come to U of M.
M: Let me get your perspective on this. These players are student-athletes. And with your experience, what would you say about maintaining discipline as a student-athlete?
E: What helped me be successful is just being organized and disciplined, writing out your schedules, writing out what your day is going to be like, getting a good night’s sleep, getting a good diet and just staying consistent with all of it. There’s days where I didn’t want to come to the gym, but I did the best I can. Not every day, I’m going to have a super intense workout. But if I wrote down, ‘I’m going to get in the gym that day,’ I’m going to get there. And even if it’s not putting up a bunch of shots, I’m going to do whatever my body’s allowing me to do that day. So just staying consistent in that sense.
M: What would be your words to the entire university community concerning Bisons basketball?
E: The last few years, the support around the team has been amazing. The school has done a great job of publishing our games and promoting our games and everything. So all students get into games for free. We have a bunch of home games. Our first home game is a pre-season game. The first week of Oct. 1, I think it’s a Thursday and Friday we play. So just come out and support the team. These guys put in a lot of good work. And it’s not easy being a student-athlete. So the support really means a lot to everyone involved with the program.
