Heading into the season, head coach Jeromy Yetter knew his team’s youth and inexperience at the collegiate level would be make this season a bit of a roller coaster ride.

With six games left before playoffs, the Bobcats mens basketball team is holding onto the eighth and final playoff spot with a record of 8-11 (6-8).

“I would say the season is going how I expected it to. With as many new guys and with the conference how it is, it doesn’t do our young guys any favors. Inconsistency — as frustrating as it is — is part of the learning process and freshman year,” Yetter said.

The remaining schedule is rough for the Bobcats, but if they continue to play how they have been — excluding their recent loss to ninth-place Franciscan University — they should be able to make the playoffs.

Six-foot-seven freshman David Palmer has been one of the few Bobcat players who have been consistent for most of the season. After taking a few games to get used to the college game, Palmer has been a double-double machine.

“His best days are ahead of him,” Yetter said. “He is prepared mentally and physically for every game, and he knows he has to bring his best in order for us to win.”

Palmer is averaging 13 points and nine rebounds a game so far this season. He knows that success is going to take hard work.

“Coach Yetter said it was not going to be easy to turn things around and he was right,” Palmer said. “We just have to keep getting better and continue to work hard.”

Palmer knows the team is talented but in order to make the playoffs and build future success the team has to stay confident.

“In order for us to make the playoffs we have to work hard and make tough plays,” Palmer said. “The main thing we have to do is stay together as a team and build up our confidence as a team. I think the main thing we have to do is execute. We have the talent and the mentality to be one of the top teams.”

The Bobcats are back in action Wednesday night when they travel to Penn State Altoona. This is a big game for the Bobcats as Altoona is currently one win ahead of them for the number seven spot in the standings.