2013-14 Men’s Basketball Season Preview
11/4/2013 12:18:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Complete Season Prospectus (PDF)
Over the last four years, fans couldn't think of Lehigh men's basketball without C.J. McCollum coming to mind. An NBA first round pick, McCollum meshed with an impressive supporting cast to help the program experience high levels of success on the court. He helped lead the Mountain Hawks to two Patriot League Championships in a three-year span, including a historic NCAA Tournament win over Duke.
McCollum didn't do it by himself. Between himself, Gabe Knutson and Holden Greiner (who are all currently playing professionally), they combined for 4,862 career points and 1,927 rebounds. That senior class left Lehigh with an 86-44 record, three 20-win seasons and three national postseason appearances.
The current Mountain Hawks have large shoes to fill, but a strong returning cast coupled with several talented newcomers looks primed and ready, and hope to not miss a beat.
Losing McCollum to injury last season was a significant blow. The Mountain Hawks were ranked fourth nationally in the College Insider Mid-Major Poll at the time of his injury and seemed destined for a magical year. Lehigh went 10-4 in Patriot League play without McCollum. Now, those experienced returnees look to mesh with nine players have who never played a Patriot League game to write the next chapter of Lehigh Basketball for the 2013-14 season.
"Last year's injury to C.J. McCollum revealed to outsiders what we already knew internally, that we have a number of talented players and those players were more than ready to step up to the new roles, new responsibilities and new opportunities," said Lehigh head coach Brett Reed. "We had a number of our players who return this year who increased their individual contributions and that will continue to be important as we move into another year. With a great deal of youth and transition, that growth and development witnessed last year continues to carry forward into this season as well."
GUARDS
Senior Mackey McKnight leads the way among a talented group of guards. The Mountain Hawks feature one of the more talented and deep backcourts in the Patriot League.
"Mackey has experience and has been an All-League player," said Reed. "He played a critical role in successful championship teams and was a very key player in our NCAA Tournament run. Mackey plays with a great deal of passion. Combined with his intensity and his attacking type of mentality, that passion fits very well into our aggressive style of offense."
McKnight enters his senior season with 896 career points, looking to become the fourth Mountain Hawk in the last three years to eclipse 1,000 points. He also owns 386 career assists and should finish his career among the top five in school history. Marquis Hall currently holds the school record with 566 assists, followed by Scott Layer (452), Austen Rowland (437), Mike Polaha (426) and Bob Krizansky (408).
Continuing to emerge in the backcourt is junior Corey Schaefer, who has seen significant action and has been a steady contributor over his first two seasons. Schaefer has served dual roles as both the backup point guard as well as playing alongside McKnight to demonstrate offensive skill to score the basketball. He averaged 4.6 points a season ago capped off by a nine-point effort at Wyoming in the College Basketball Invitational. On many occasions, Schaefer has been on the court with McKnight as the two-guard.
"Corey seems to have taken a major jump forward in his development for this year," said Reed. "I'm sensing a greater sense of confidence and he's playing with more of a bold mentality on the offensive end. He's always been a consistent and reliable performer, but with him demonstrating the type of offensive confidence that he has [this preseason], his offensive game is opening up even further."
Also returning in the backcourt is senior Anthony D'Orazio who played in all 31 games (starting 29). His offense has continued to progress while he serves as a key energy guy on the defensive end of the floor. D'Orazio averaged 6.4 points per game last season (jumping from 2.6 as a sophomore). He reached double-figure points on seven occasions, including a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double at Army.
"Anthony received extended minutes last year," said Reed. "We're hopeful that experience in pressure situations will allow him to continue providing a solid and steadying foundation for our program."
Junior Stefan Cvrkalj also returns at guard. He has just begun participating in preseason practice; his rehabilitation is going well and he is expected to be ready to go.
"We understand the role Stefan can bring," said Reed. "He can help us extend the defense, he utilizes the three-point line very well and he's continued to grow in other facets of his game throughout his time here, particularly on the defensive end."
Freshmen Austin Price and Miles Simelton have impressed and are pushing for time. Price is a talented guard out of Detroit County Day School, which has produced NBA talent like Shane Battier and Chris Webber.
"Austin brings perimeter shooting ability and a nice blend of a defensive presence," said Reed. "He has length, he has solid perimeter speed and his ability to stretch the defense by shooting the three-point shot is something we're going to seek to utilize."
Simelton is a small, quick guard out of Oswego, Illinois.
"Miles has excellent quickness and the ability to utilize his speed to create for himself and others," said Reed. "His perimeter shooting ability is solid and he is a threat. That combination makes him a very difficult cover."
Another guard is sophomore Devon Carter, who continues to work back from an injury. Freshman walk-on Cole Renninger, who led the state of Pennsylvania in scoring last season, is providing valuable minutes in practice, while freshman from Greece Georgios Pilitsis is acclimating to the team after joining the program through the walk-on tryout process.
FORWARDS
The wing position is intriguing with several possible options. D'Orazio, Cvrkalj and Price could both slide to the wing to give Lehigh a small, quicker lineup while 6-foot-7-inch freshman Shane Whitfield could bring a unique dynamic at that position. Whitfield has a similar game to Greiner.
"Shane Whitfield has a physically mature body," said Reed. "He's an excellent passer and creator off the dribble. He could be considered a point-forward for our program. Those perimeter attributes are something that we value and are in line with how our system is played. Because of his versatility, he can help us on the perimeter and also help us in the big forward position as we adjust to multiple styles."
The Mountain Hawks feature impressive size with 6-foot-10 freshman Tim Kempton, 6-foot-8 sophomores Jesse Chuku and Justin Goldsborough, and 6-foot-6 junior Conroy Baltimore.
The son of an NBA player, Kempton has shown himself well this preseason and will be in the mix to start at center as a freshman, replacing Knutson who was also a four-year starter.
"Tim has demonstrated that he has the ability to score with his back to the basket," said Reed. "That's something our style and our system really values and makes him a critical aspect for our offense. Because of that, he's going to have the opportunity to compete for significant playing time. His instincts on the floor are excellent. It's evident that he comes from a strong basketball pedigree, and that will only continue to help his adjustment to the college game."
Chuku is a talented forward who will hit the floor after having to sit out last season. He did earn valuable experience in practice, learning from senior forwards Greiner and Knutson.
"Jesse has continued to grow and develop during his time with our program," said Reed. "We have seen significant improvement in his perimeter skills. That, combined with his superior athleticism and length, creates a strong offensive and defensive presence for our program."
Goldsborough came on down the stretch last season, averaging 2.4 points and 2.1 rebounds. He had a breakout game, with six points and a career-high 10 rebounds in the Patriot League opener against Holy Cross and took that momentum through the remainder of league play.
"Justin has continued to enhance his game," said Reed. "His consistency, his intensity and his commitment to fulfill a key role of a defender and rebounder has progressed. We will need him to perform those duties at a high level and play with a tremendous amount of energy, which I think he is capable of doing."
Baltimore has led the team in rebounds per minute in each of his first two seasons, and looks to continue progressing.
"Conroy has provided excellent consistency, day in and day out," said Reed. "His determination appears to be at a higher level than in previous years. His understanding of our offensive and defensive systems has improved, and he's put himself in a position to be a very solid contributor to our program."
Sophomore transfer John Ross Glover will practice with the team all season, but has to sit out the year after transferring from Lipscomb.
"John Ross is demonstrating a positive attitude, a desire to help the team in any way possible as he continues to work on his personal development and understanding of our system," said Reed.
OUTLOOK
The Mountain Hawks look to continue the strong culture they've created and continue the winning ways this program has attained. The squad looks to integrate the newcomers with the returnees and mesh as quickly and effectively as possible. In the end, it will be a process, but a challenging nonleague schedule should help ensure the team is playing its best when it matters most… Patriot League play.
"Our returning players have done an excellent job of fostering positive relationships and assisting our younger players in their personal development," said Reed. "I feel we've established a culture within this program where players help each other. There is a sense of collective responsibility that all share in order to make the unit as strong as possible."
The challenges Reed faces going into this season aren't typical, being very young with an abnormally large number of newcomers.
"It's abnormal for our program to have so many fresh faces, and because of that, it provides a new challenge," he said. "I'm a teacher at heart, so having an opportunity to formulate the team and build a great deal from scratch is actually exciting."
Despite the new look, goals always remain the same… compete for a championship. The Mountain Hawks have proved to be a perennial contender in the Patriot League, and they hope this year is no different.
"Our consistent goal is to be the best that we're capable of becoming," said Reed. "We're learning about our team, but we're still striving towards ambitious goals for this relatively young team. We have become accustomed to competing for championships within the Patriot League and our aspiration continues to be the same. We are striving towards that same level of excellence."
Over the last four years, fans couldn't think of Lehigh men's basketball without C.J. McCollum coming to mind. An NBA first round pick, McCollum meshed with an impressive supporting cast to help the program experience high levels of success on the court. He helped lead the Mountain Hawks to two Patriot League Championships in a three-year span, including a historic NCAA Tournament win over Duke.
McCollum didn't do it by himself. Between himself, Gabe Knutson and Holden Greiner (who are all currently playing professionally), they combined for 4,862 career points and 1,927 rebounds. That senior class left Lehigh with an 86-44 record, three 20-win seasons and three national postseason appearances.
The current Mountain Hawks have large shoes to fill, but a strong returning cast coupled with several talented newcomers looks primed and ready, and hope to not miss a beat.
Losing McCollum to injury last season was a significant blow. The Mountain Hawks were ranked fourth nationally in the College Insider Mid-Major Poll at the time of his injury and seemed destined for a magical year. Lehigh went 10-4 in Patriot League play without McCollum. Now, those experienced returnees look to mesh with nine players have who never played a Patriot League game to write the next chapter of Lehigh Basketball for the 2013-14 season.
"Last year's injury to C.J. McCollum revealed to outsiders what we already knew internally, that we have a number of talented players and those players were more than ready to step up to the new roles, new responsibilities and new opportunities," said Lehigh head coach Brett Reed. "We had a number of our players who return this year who increased their individual contributions and that will continue to be important as we move into another year. With a great deal of youth and transition, that growth and development witnessed last year continues to carry forward into this season as well."
GUARDS
Senior Mackey McKnight leads the way among a talented group of guards. The Mountain Hawks feature one of the more talented and deep backcourts in the Patriot League.
"Mackey has experience and has been an All-League player," said Reed. "He played a critical role in successful championship teams and was a very key player in our NCAA Tournament run. Mackey plays with a great deal of passion. Combined with his intensity and his attacking type of mentality, that passion fits very well into our aggressive style of offense."
McKnight enters his senior season with 896 career points, looking to become the fourth Mountain Hawk in the last three years to eclipse 1,000 points. He also owns 386 career assists and should finish his career among the top five in school history. Marquis Hall currently holds the school record with 566 assists, followed by Scott Layer (452), Austen Rowland (437), Mike Polaha (426) and Bob Krizansky (408).
Continuing to emerge in the backcourt is junior Corey Schaefer, who has seen significant action and has been a steady contributor over his first two seasons. Schaefer has served dual roles as both the backup point guard as well as playing alongside McKnight to demonstrate offensive skill to score the basketball. He averaged 4.6 points a season ago capped off by a nine-point effort at Wyoming in the College Basketball Invitational. On many occasions, Schaefer has been on the court with McKnight as the two-guard.
"Corey seems to have taken a major jump forward in his development for this year," said Reed. "I'm sensing a greater sense of confidence and he's playing with more of a bold mentality on the offensive end. He's always been a consistent and reliable performer, but with him demonstrating the type of offensive confidence that he has [this preseason], his offensive game is opening up even further."
Also returning in the backcourt is senior Anthony D'Orazio who played in all 31 games (starting 29). His offense has continued to progress while he serves as a key energy guy on the defensive end of the floor. D'Orazio averaged 6.4 points per game last season (jumping from 2.6 as a sophomore). He reached double-figure points on seven occasions, including a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double at Army.
"Anthony received extended minutes last year," said Reed. "We're hopeful that experience in pressure situations will allow him to continue providing a solid and steadying foundation for our program."
Junior Stefan Cvrkalj also returns at guard. He has just begun participating in preseason practice; his rehabilitation is going well and he is expected to be ready to go.
"We understand the role Stefan can bring," said Reed. "He can help us extend the defense, he utilizes the three-point line very well and he's continued to grow in other facets of his game throughout his time here, particularly on the defensive end."
Freshmen Austin Price and Miles Simelton have impressed and are pushing for time. Price is a talented guard out of Detroit County Day School, which has produced NBA talent like Shane Battier and Chris Webber.
"Austin brings perimeter shooting ability and a nice blend of a defensive presence," said Reed. "He has length, he has solid perimeter speed and his ability to stretch the defense by shooting the three-point shot is something we're going to seek to utilize."
Simelton is a small, quick guard out of Oswego, Illinois.
"Miles has excellent quickness and the ability to utilize his speed to create for himself and others," said Reed. "His perimeter shooting ability is solid and he is a threat. That combination makes him a very difficult cover."
Another guard is sophomore Devon Carter, who continues to work back from an injury. Freshman walk-on Cole Renninger, who led the state of Pennsylvania in scoring last season, is providing valuable minutes in practice, while freshman from Greece Georgios Pilitsis is acclimating to the team after joining the program through the walk-on tryout process.
FORWARDS
The wing position is intriguing with several possible options. D'Orazio, Cvrkalj and Price could both slide to the wing to give Lehigh a small, quicker lineup while 6-foot-7-inch freshman Shane Whitfield could bring a unique dynamic at that position. Whitfield has a similar game to Greiner.
"Shane Whitfield has a physically mature body," said Reed. "He's an excellent passer and creator off the dribble. He could be considered a point-forward for our program. Those perimeter attributes are something that we value and are in line with how our system is played. Because of his versatility, he can help us on the perimeter and also help us in the big forward position as we adjust to multiple styles."
The Mountain Hawks feature impressive size with 6-foot-10 freshman Tim Kempton, 6-foot-8 sophomores Jesse Chuku and Justin Goldsborough, and 6-foot-6 junior Conroy Baltimore.
The son of an NBA player, Kempton has shown himself well this preseason and will be in the mix to start at center as a freshman, replacing Knutson who was also a four-year starter.
"Tim has demonstrated that he has the ability to score with his back to the basket," said Reed. "That's something our style and our system really values and makes him a critical aspect for our offense. Because of that, he's going to have the opportunity to compete for significant playing time. His instincts on the floor are excellent. It's evident that he comes from a strong basketball pedigree, and that will only continue to help his adjustment to the college game."
Chuku is a talented forward who will hit the floor after having to sit out last season. He did earn valuable experience in practice, learning from senior forwards Greiner and Knutson.
"Jesse has continued to grow and develop during his time with our program," said Reed. "We have seen significant improvement in his perimeter skills. That, combined with his superior athleticism and length, creates a strong offensive and defensive presence for our program."
Goldsborough came on down the stretch last season, averaging 2.4 points and 2.1 rebounds. He had a breakout game, with six points and a career-high 10 rebounds in the Patriot League opener against Holy Cross and took that momentum through the remainder of league play.
"Justin has continued to enhance his game," said Reed. "His consistency, his intensity and his commitment to fulfill a key role of a defender and rebounder has progressed. We will need him to perform those duties at a high level and play with a tremendous amount of energy, which I think he is capable of doing."
Baltimore has led the team in rebounds per minute in each of his first two seasons, and looks to continue progressing.
"Conroy has provided excellent consistency, day in and day out," said Reed. "His determination appears to be at a higher level than in previous years. His understanding of our offensive and defensive systems has improved, and he's put himself in a position to be a very solid contributor to our program."
Sophomore transfer John Ross Glover will practice with the team all season, but has to sit out the year after transferring from Lipscomb.
"John Ross is demonstrating a positive attitude, a desire to help the team in any way possible as he continues to work on his personal development and understanding of our system," said Reed.
OUTLOOK
The Mountain Hawks look to continue the strong culture they've created and continue the winning ways this program has attained. The squad looks to integrate the newcomers with the returnees and mesh as quickly and effectively as possible. In the end, it will be a process, but a challenging nonleague schedule should help ensure the team is playing its best when it matters most… Patriot League play.
"Our returning players have done an excellent job of fostering positive relationships and assisting our younger players in their personal development," said Reed. "I feel we've established a culture within this program where players help each other. There is a sense of collective responsibility that all share in order to make the unit as strong as possible."
The challenges Reed faces going into this season aren't typical, being very young with an abnormally large number of newcomers.
"It's abnormal for our program to have so many fresh faces, and because of that, it provides a new challenge," he said. "I'm a teacher at heart, so having an opportunity to formulate the team and build a great deal from scratch is actually exciting."
Despite the new look, goals always remain the same… compete for a championship. The Mountain Hawks have proved to be a perennial contender in the Patriot League, and they hope this year is no different.
"Our consistent goal is to be the best that we're capable of becoming," said Reed. "We're learning about our team, but we're still striving towards ambitious goals for this relatively young team. We have become accustomed to competing for championships within the Patriot League and our aspiration continues to be the same. We are striving towards that same level of excellence."
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