MACOMB, Ill. - During the summer of 2013, the current nucleus of Western Illinois men's basketball arrived on campus. Three freshmen: Garret Covington, Jabari Sandifer and a couple weeks later, Mike Miklusak joined the fold.
 
"Jabari and I were day one roommates and we just gelled," senior guard Garret Covington said. "Then, when Mike came we became the three amigos."
 
Miklusak did not have many offers throughout high school, which is part of the reason he always plays with a chip on his shoulder. The skittish kid from Indiana's attitude quickly changed at Western.
 
"I didn't really know what to expect," Miklusak said. "They treated me like family from day one. I was a little shy coming here but they just made me feel like I was home so I couldn't be more thankful."
 
For Covington, the education and team bonding that Western Illinois offered made his choice easier.
 
"Western has my law degree too so that was a big bonus," Covington said. "I liked my teammates right away. They seemed sincere and the way they were together always doing things together. It was like a bond that I always wanted. I felt like this was my home and I think I picked my home pretty nice."
 
Sandifer felt the family atmosphere too.
 
"Everybody in Western Hall is great and they made me feel like I are a part of their family," Sandifer said. "It's one big Western Hall family."
 
The three began to feel comfortable with each other and it translated onto the court.
 
"Mike, Jabari and Garret have been through a lot in their four years here," head coach Billy Wright said. "They showed a tremendous amount of loyalty and have been through a coaching change. With the injuries to Jabari and Mike, we never really got to see the full potential of what could have been. I can't say enough about how much they meant to the culture of the program."
 
Sandifer's season ending injury was earlier in the year but that does not stop him from cheering on his teammates from the sidelines at the Summit League tournament. 
 
"We're excited to be going to Sioux Falls," Sandifer said. "It was our goal to get there and we think we're good enough to make a run at it, so everyone is in high spirits. I'm still very passionate about the team, and if you watch me on the bench I'm always super into it."
 
The term 'senior leader' is an understatement when discussing the three seniors. Sandifer's ability to run the show, Covington's lights-out shooting and Miklusak's tenacity all make them unique on and off the court.
 
"Each one has taken a step outside of his comfort zone," Wright said. "In the realm of leadership, today's kids don't really communicate verbally as much as they do with their finger tips, so I really challenged those three during their senior year to be more boisterous and lead by example with their voice in the right way."
 
While Miklusak is not thinking about the end of his basketball career, Covington has a positive mindset.
 
"It's a new season, it's like our third season so we're into this as if everybody is 0-0," Covington said. "You win, you keep going and if you lose then you're done. We want to extend the season and see if we can get a couple more games in. We're not trying to be a one and done."
 
Although it is conference tournament time, the three will not end the bond they built at Western anytime soon.
 
"This is our last hurrah in college but we're definitely going to link up all the time outside of college," Covington said.

 

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