LEWISTON – In a smaller role late last season, Cam Kaubris caught a glimpse of  what he could bring to the table this winter.

The Bates College senior and former Mountain Valley High School standout set out to prepare for that chance. Though his playing time has been limited during his career with the Bobcats, but he’s worked diligently for this opportunity.

“Last year, towards the end of the year, I saw a little more time in spot situations,” Kaubris said. “I thought I’d be able to see more this year.”

Used to regular playing time in high school and being one of his team’s go-to players, seeing limited action has been an adjustment for Kaubris.

“It’s been real different,” Kaubris said. “It definitely taught me a lot of things. It gave me new respect for a lot of the guys I played in high school and their roles and how well they played them. It was a transition at first, but it’s one I made and one that I liked. I’ve been able to specialize in different aspects of my game. It’s been a real strong character building experience as well, just having to sit and wait and watch while working on other aspects of my leadership qualities.”

Kaubris played nine games total between his freshman and sophomore seasons. He played in 11 games last year as a junior, averaging 2.3 points and 4.7 minutes. His season high was seven points against the University of Maine-Augusta.

While trying to be patient, the 5-foot-11 guard also tried to find ways he could contribute. That meant trying to be a leader on and off the court, providing feedback to players on the bench or cheering them on from the sidelines. When he’d get in the game, he tried to provide a boost of energy and a spark. It’s a small role, especially on a team so full of veterans this year, but Kaubris is excited to do his part.

“I’m definitely going to have a stepped up role from what I’ve had in the past,” Kaubris said. “All the playing this fall and into early on this season, my confidence level is real high right now. I hopefully will be able to battle. I won’t be the star player by any means, but I’ll be able to bring a lot of energy off the bench for the team and give us some good minutes here and there and help spark things offensively and defensively.”

Bates coach Jon Furbush said that Kaubris’ role is still evolving this early in the season. He said Kaubris is a player he knows is always into the game and always ready for when his time comes.

“He’s a great leader, ” Furbush said. “He’s someone who has developed his skill set over the last four years. My hope for him is that he gets an opportunity to see some floor time and gives us a spark off the bench. Certainly there’s some competition there.  He’s our glue. He’s into every possession and into every game and every practice. He’s a very important piece to why we’ll be successful if we are.”

Furbush said most players have to adjust their games and mindset when coming to the college level. Most players recruited are the top players on their respective high school teams, meaning they often face a transition while establishing their role at the next level.

“What he’s done is do it the exact way I want every kid to do it,” Fournier said.  “He comes to practice every day and works hard he controls the things he can control. He doesn’t focus on the results but focuses on the process. He sets a great example for some of the younger guys. The leadership that he puts in is really special. “

Part of his increased role this year has been as a captain, along with fellow seniors Graham Safford, Billy Selmon and Adam Phlipott. The responsibility as a team leader is one that Kaubris is honored to have and takes seriously.

“I’ve put in a lot of effort so far,” Kaubris said. “It was really nice to be rewarded with that. The program means a lot to me. I put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into the team the last few years. So it feels really great to have that title.”

Kaubris was a captain on teams in high school, but having that role on a college teams is a little different.

“Everyone coming here to play at this level is usually a captain of some form or a team’s best player,” Kaubris said. “So you’re kind of like a captain of all the other captains. It makes it a lot easier because everyone here is always looking for direction when they come to college. They all have good leadership qualities. I’ve learned from all the captains that we had in my four years here. That’s really helped me.”

He embraced the captaincy in the offseason as the Bobcats began preparing for this winter. Bates is determined after a tough finish last season.

“I’m really excited for this year,” Kaubris said. “I think we’ve really prepared for it, more than we have in the past in the offseason. We’ve really hit the ground running so far.

“It’s been great to be part of that process and stepping up more as a leader this year. I think being a captain has really opened my eyes to how much responsibility goes along with being part of the program.”

kmills@sunjournal.com

Bates College men’s basketball preview

Last year: 11-13

Returning players: Sr G Graham Safford (16.3 ppg) Jr G Mike Boornazian (15.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg), Sr. G Billy Selmon (8.3 ppg), Sr G Adam Philpott (5.6 ppg, 3 rpg), Sr G Cam Kaubris (2.3 ppg), So F Malcom Delpeche (7.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg), So F Marcus Delpeche (5.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg), Jr G Josh Britten, So G Jerome Darling, Jr F Mike Newton, So F Max Eaton, So F Ben Burkey, So G Connor McLeod, So G Quin Leary.

New players: Fr G Justin Zukowski, Fr G Caleb Dowdy, Fr G Shawn Strickland

Overview: The Bobcats started the year 8-4 and then struggled during the second half of the season, missing the NESCAC tourney for the first time since 2002.

Bates returns most of that team, including Safford, a Maine First Team All-State pick, and Boornazian, who has 583 points and 297 rebounds in his first two years with the Bobcats. The team has a dozen other players back, including players like Selmon, Philpott and the Delpeche twins, who contributed last year.

Bates has a veteran club with some seasoned leaders. There are also a number of players ready to pick up their games this season. The Bobcats learned from last year’s late-season struggles and should be a tougher team as a result this season. Bates has battled some injuries during the preseason but has high hopes for what could be accomplished this year.

“We’ve always talked about having a good chance to be a good team,” Kaubris said. “This year, we’re tired of saying that and this year, we want to go out there and show people that. We’ve been working real hard. We’re ready to get some wins out there. That’s been our focus since last season. I think for the most part, we’re going to be a real good team.”

Bates has started the year 2-0 with a pair of wins at the Babson Invitational, including a 54-51 win over the host team, ranked 23rd in the nation. Safford was named the NESCAC Player of the Week. He had 21 points in the second half against Babson, including the game-winning 3 in the final seconds.

“Beating the No.23 team in the country (Sunday) was a great win for us, on the road and in their gym,” Bates coach Jon Furbush said. “The guys have had confidence the last couple years. That signature win kind of verifies it for them. To do it with only 11 practices and no scrimmages shows them how good we can be.”