V-Hawks finding leadership

Alex Dichiaula and David Shepard step up for Viterbo basketball

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) — It’s a new season for the Viterbo men’s basketball program.  The V-Hawks graduated four seniors from last year’s team, two had all MCC first team honors.  But that didn’t stop them from having a big win in their season opener against Cardinal Stritch, the number two ranked team in the nation.

“When I heard that buzzer sound, I looked right to the bench and then I just saw all of my boys running at me,” said sophomore David Shepard.

“Considering what they were ranked and how we were just picked to finish fifth in our conference and it really shows it doesn’t matter what everyone else thinks,” said senior Alex Dichiaula.

A big part of that win?  A special inside, outside presence.  On the outside is guard and fifth year senior Alex Dichiaula.

“He’s been a real key to us leadership wise. He’s been the guy that’s driven us in the offseason, the conditioning work, the weight room work and stuff like that,” said head basketball coach Wayne Wagner.

“My redshirt year, I kind of learned a lot more from a coaching stand point and just the mentality of what it is like watching us win games, watching us lose games,” said Dichiaula.

The perfect compliment to Dichiaula is six-foot-six sophomore David Shepard.  He led the team in scoring in Saturday’s big win.

“It was a little odd because last year I was kind of like the young gun but then coming into my second year here I’m kind of looked up as as one of the leaders so it was a tough transition but coach Wagner and me have gotten close this year so it really made the transition a lot easier,” said Shepard.

With Diciaula and Shepard leading the team, the V-Hawks not only have a 1-0 record, they also have a new gained confidence.

“We can’t really go out there and say we’ll win this many games but if we work our hardest, I feel like good things are going to happen,” said Shepard.

They have one big win and still have one big goal.  Doing something no V-Hawk men’s basketball team has done since 2010.

“Conference championship, no doubt.  That’s what we’re all going for here,” said Dichiaula.

V-Hawks home opener is Tuesday night at 7:30 against Silver Lake College.