Hobart selected as unanimous favorite in 2018-19 Liberty League preseason men's basketball poll
With all five starters returning from a team that compiled a 21-win season earned the top seed in the Liberty League tournament,
Hobart College has been selected as the unanimous preseason favorite by the league’s head coaches. The Statesmen, who received all nine first-place votes (coaches cannot vote for their own teams) and 81 points, edged Skidmore College (71) for the top spot. Other teams rounding out the top six were Union (56), RPI (53), Ithaca (52) and Clarkson (40).
Hobart (21-5, 16-2 Liberty League) put together a strong campaign in 2017-18, but lost in the semifinals of the Liberty League tournament and was left on the outside of the NCAA tournament field looking in. With the entire starting lineup returning from last season, the Statesmen have their eyes focused squarely on an NCAA tournament berth. Hobart dropped its Liberty League opener to Union last season, won the next 16 league games before falling to Union in the regular-season finale. The Dutchmen were the only team to beat Hobart during league play. The top seed in the league tournament, the Statesmen dropped a 63-60 decision to Skidmore, marking the team’s second-lowest scoring output of the season. Hobart is paced by senior guards Colin Dougherty (16.7 ppg) and Jamal Lucas (15.2 ppg), both All-Liberty League first-team selections. The dynamic Lucas also led the Statesmen in rebounding (5.7 rpg) and steals (58). Junior guard Tucker Lescoe (12.5 ppg, 41% 3-pt FG) also averaged in double figures. Sophomore guard Dan Masino, the league’s Rookie of the Year, led the team with 80 assists while committing just 49 turnovers. Junior forward Sam Allen (8.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg) provides a solid inside presence.
Skidmore (15-12, 9-9 Liberty League) battled injuries throughout the 2017-18 season with just four players seeing action in all 27 games. Senior guard Edvinas Rupkus, the 2017-18 Liberty League Player of the Year, was the only Thoroughbred to start every game. Rupkus (league-leading 22.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg) fueled Skidmore’s run during the Liberty League tournament with 39 points in a first-round win at Ithaca and 16 points in the upset win over Hobart in the semifinals. Rupkus, too, was derailed by injury in the league championship game against Union, finishing with 15 points while playing just 13 first-half minutes. With five seniors and four starters returning from last season, the Thoroughbreds are looking to capture the league title for the first time since winning back-to-back championships in 2015 and 2016. Senior forward Dakpe Yiljep, who joined the team as a transfer last season, averaged 13.3 points while shooting 50 percent from the field. Sophomore guard Noah Meren (10.5 ppg) was also a double-digit scorer as a rookie and should be poised for a strong second season. Senior guards Jack Byrne (9.1 ppg) and Chase Ta (4.4 apg) provide Skidmore with experience and leadership in the backcourt.
Union (19-9, 12-6 Liberty League) finds itself in a similar position as last season. The Dutchmen, captured a second straight Liberty League title last season while advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Last season, Union was in a position of having to replace three senior starters from the 2016 league championship team. Picked eighth in last year’s preseason poll, the Dutchmen finished second in the regular season before winning a second straight league championship. Fast forward a year and Union is looking to replace three senior starters from another championship squad. The top two scorers – Kevin Weckworth (21.9) and Greg King (13.1) – have graduated, but teams will not be overlooking the Dutchmen again this season. Senior guard Kevin McNoble (10.4 ppg, team-leading 102 assists and 49 steals) is the top returning scorer. Expect senior center Brendan Laing (7.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg, team-leading 36 blocks) to play a greater role this season after filling a supporting role last year. Sophomore forward Jackson Mannix (5.8 ppg), a key reserve as a rookie last season, will also play a more prominent role this year.
Rensselaer (13-12, 8-10 Liberty League), with four starters returning from last season, is looking to earn a spot in the Liberty League tournament this season. The Engineers dropped their season finale in overtime to Clarkson last season and ended in a three-way tie for sixth place, but lost out on a playoff spot due to tiebreakers. Among the returning starters, RPI has a pair of All-Liberty League selections in senior guard Tom Horvat and senior forward Andreas Kontopidis. Horvat (20.0 ppg) and Kontopidis (19.2 ppg) ranked third and fourth in the league in scoring respectively. Horvat, a first-team selection was the league’s top 3-point shooter, averaging 3.1 per game while ranking an impressive sixth in the league in field goal percentage. Kontopidis, a second-team selection, also averaged 6.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. The Engineers also boasted the league’s top scoring defense, holding opponents to 67.6 points per game. RPI also committed a league-low 287 turnovers.
Ithaca (15-11, 10-8 Liberty League) had a solid first season in its inaugural Liberty League campaign, finishing fourth during the regular season and earning a first-round home game in the Liberty League tournament. Ithaca was particularly tough at home last season, compiling a 7-2 record at Ben Light Gym in Liberty League games. The Bombers return four starters as they look to build on their strong first season. Junior guard Riley Thompson, an All-Liberty League honorable mention selection last season, averaged a team-leading 13.4 points while shooting 41.6 percent from 3-point range. A pair of frontcourt seniors – forwards Peter Ezema and Matt Flood – give Ithaca a solid presence in the paint. Ezema (10.3 ppg, 8.9 rpg) led the team in both rebounding and steals (40). Flood (7.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg) also displayed the ability to shoot from long range, connecting on 37 3-pointers.
Clarkson (12-13, 8-10 Liberty League), like RPI, finished in a three-way tie for sixth last season, but narrowly missed a league tournament berth due to tiebreakers. The Golden Knights were in a bit of a rebuilding mode last year, but not this season as four starters and five of the top six scorers return. Junior forward Matt Higgins, an All-Liberty League second-team selection last season, led Clarkson and finished fifth in the Liberty League in scoring (18.5 ppg) while finishing second in the league with 76 3-pointers. Senior point guard Liam Ellis, an All-Liberty League honorable mention pick, led the league with 4.5 assists per game while also averaging 15.0 points. Senior forward Matt Hornak (9.6 ppg, 63 3-pointers) was one of the league’s best 3-point shooters, connecting on 41 percent from beyond the arc last season. Sophomore forward Joe Lucas (6.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg) should be in for a strong second season after a solid rookie campaign.
St. Lawrence (5-20, 3-15 Liberty League) was beset by youth and injuries last season. The Saints graduated three senior guards from their 2017 NCAA tournament team and also lost All-Liberty League forward Riley Naclerio after just seven games due to a season-ending knee injury. As a result, St. Lawrence was competitive, but struggled in the win column. The return of Naclerio (17.7 ppg, 8.3 rebounds) gives the Saints an immediate boost. A solid trio of returning senior starters is aiming to lift St. Lawrence back into the playoff picture. Senior forward Ben Crawford (16.9 ppg, 10.2 rpg) led the Liberty League in rebounding while finishing sixth in scoring. Additionally two seniors, forward Chris Miner (11.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg) and guard Dom DeRegis (11.9 ppg, 50 assists), give the Saints an experienced starting unit. St. Lawrence also welcomes six first-year players as it looks to build depth for the future.
Vassar (9-17, 8-10 Liberty League), earned a win on the road against Ithaca in the regular-season finale to clinch a Liberty League tournament berth. The Brewers have a new head coach in Ryan Mee, who comes to Poughkeepsie after six seasons as an assistant coach at Division I Davidson. No stranger to the Liberty League, Mee, a University of Rochester graduate, served as an assistant coach at Skidmore in 2008-09. The new coach has four starters back from last season’s team that went 8-8 from the beginning of January. Leading scorer Jesse Browne (15.5 ppg, 3.0 apg) has graduated, but Vassar has a strong nucleus, particularly in the front court. Senior center Paul Grinde (14.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg) and sophomore center Zach Bromfeld (8.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg) were part of a team that ranked third in the Liberty League in rebounding margin. Senior guard Alex Seff (7.9 ppg, 25 steals) and sophomore forward Lance Tebay (7.0 ppg, 27 blocks) should also see increased offensive roles this season.
RIT (14-13, 11-7 Liberty League) lost its top three scorers from last season – Troy Pierre-Louis (15.1 ppg), Anthony Lewis (13.0) and Robert Aguilera (11.3). That trio accounted for 39.4 points on a team that averaged 68.8 points per game – 57 percent of the offense. The Tigers will look for other returning starters to increase their production and to get contributions from a solid group of first-year players. Senior guard/forward Jaymee Rosser (6.3), a co-captain last season, is RIT’s top returning scorer. Senior forward Marcell Davis (5.0 ppg) and junior guard Will Atkinson (5.3 ppg) join Rosser as players with starting experience. Senior Justin Schneider, junior Charles Okehie and sophomore Matt Anderson all saw regular playing time off the bench last season and will look to play increased roles this year.
Bard (7-18, 5-13 Liberty League), unlike last season, returns a team with a great deal of experience this year. With four starters, seven of the top eight scorers, including the top three returning, the Raptors could make a major move up the league standings this season as they eye their first Liberty League tournament bid. Sophomores Justyn Rogers (team-leading 14.0 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and Alijah Rue (12.5 ppg, team-leading 79 assists) were Liberty League all-rookie selections as freshman starters last season. They are joined in the starting lineup by a pair of seniors – David Runcie (13.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg) and Armando Dunn (7.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg). Bard won four of its first six Liberty League games in January to climb into tournament contention before fading down the stretch. Among the wins was an 83-81 win over eventual league champion Union, proving the Raptors could compete with the top teams in the league. With an experienced unit joined by four newcomers, 2018-19 could be a breakthrough year for Bard.
Last year, the Liberty League moved to a six-team postseason tournament for the first time. This year, the first-round games take place on Tuesday, Feb. 19, as the third seed hosts the sixth seed and the fourth seed hosts the fifth seed. The first and second seeds will receive a bye into the semifinals. The semifinal games will take place on Saturday, Feb. 23 and the championship game will be played on Sunday, Feb. 24. All three games (two semifinals and championship) will be hosted by the top seed. The winner of the championship earns the Liberty League’s automatic berth to the 2019 NCAA tournament.
2018-19 LIBERTY LEAGUE MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL
1. Hobart, 81 (9)
2. Skidmore, 71 (1)
3. Union, 56
4. RPI, 53
5. Ithaca, 52
6. Clarkson, 40
7. St. Lawrence, 34
8. Vassar, 29
9. RIT, 21
10. Bard, 12
(First-place votes are in parentheses)