Liberty League basketball makes its much-anticipated return to the court after COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the 2020-2021 league schedule. Teams will likely look much different this season as two classes of players graduated and two classes of newcomers have come on board since the 2019-2020 season.
The last time Liberty League teams took to the court, three teams – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Hobart College and Ithaca College – earned NCAA bids with all three winning their first-round games. Hobart advanced to the Sweet 16 before the remainder of the championship was cancelled due to the pandemic.
The top six teams in Liberty League regular-season play will advance to the league tournament. Two first-round games will be held on campus sites on Tuesday, Feb. 22. The semifinals and championship will be held Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 26-27, at the site of the regular-season champion with the winner receiving the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.
Team Previews (sorted by 2019-20 regular-season standings)
Rensselaer (24-5, 17-1 Liberty League) won the Liberty League’s regular-season title in 2019-2020 and earned an at-large berth to the NCAA tournament. The Engineers will be in a strong position to contend for another title as fifth-year senior Patrick Mahoney, the 2020 Player of the Year, returns to lead the team. Mahoney, a D3hoops.com preseason All-America fourth-team selection, averaged a team-leading 14.8 points along with 5.7 rebounds while also making 38 3-pointers, second-most on the team. Senior guard Dom Black (11.6 points, team-leading 6.1 rebounds) is a returning starter and Liberty League Defensive Player of the Year. Senior forward Mason Memmelaar (13.3 points, 5.6 rebounds) gives RPI three returning starters from its regular-season title team.
Ithaca (24-6, 15-3) has a new coach, Waleed Farid, who takes over for long-time head coach Jim Mullins who retired following a Liberty League tournament championship and NCAA bid in 2020. Farid, who spent the last five seasons at Hartwick, will need to replace the bulk of the scoring from the championship team. Guards Riley Thompson (18.4 points) and Sebastian Alderete (16.9 points) ranked first and second respectively in the league in scoring. Senior guard Skylar Sinon (16.3) is the top returning scorer for both the Bombers and the league. He also led the league in assists (119) while making 60 3-pointers. Senior guards George Sikoryak and Zach Warech are expected to take on greater roles this season.
Hobart (23-5, 15-3) earned an at-large berth to the 2020 NCAA tournament and made the most of the opportunity. The Statesmen defeated a pair of ranked teams in No. 14 St. Joseph-Conn. and No. 17 Springfield to advance to the third round. Junior forward Jackson Meshanic, an All-Liberty League first-team selection, returns after leading the Statesmen and ranking 10th in the Liberty League in scoring (13.7 points, 7.1 rebounds). Senior guard Jack Lesure was a starter in the first five games of the season before suffering a season-ending injury. Back healthy, Lesure will be expected to provide veteran leadership to a young team. Junior guard Patrick Walker came off the bench in all 27 games and figures to play a more prominent role.
Union (16-10, 12-6) featured one of the more balanced lineups in the league with only one double-digit scorer in 2019-2020. Six players contributed between seven and ten points per game. Senior guard Brian Noone (9.3 points, team-leading 5.2 rebounds) was the team’s second-leading scorer and one of only two players to start at least 25 games. Senior guard Mike Manley (8.8 points), a 40.0 percent shooter from 3-point range (44-for-110) should also figure prominently after averaging nearly 20 minutes off the bench. Senior forward Temi George, also a key reserve, ranked second on the team with 28 steals in just over 15 minutes per game.
Vassar (11-15, 7-11) earned the fifth seed in the Liberty League tournament with a youthful roster two seasons ago. The Brewers return three of their top four scorers as they look to continue their climb up the league standings. Junior forward Zach Johnson (11.4 points, 7.9 rebounds) was one of the league’s most productive rookies, ranking second on the team in scoring and fifth in the league in rebounding. Johnson was efficient around the basket, shooting 59.4 percent (107-for-180) and expects to be among the top front court players in the league. Fellow junior Avni Mustafaj averaged 9.8 points along with a team-best 51 assists while making 24 starts as a rookie. Junior guard Kevin McAuliffe (7.6 points, team-leading 47 3-pointers) and senior guard Neville Lee (2.6 points) were regular contributors looking to play more prominent roles this season.
St. Lawrence (8-17, 6-12) earned the sixth seed in the Liberty League tournament, giving eventual champion Ithaca all it could handle in a first-round game. The Saints return a solid nucleus of players led by junior forward Trent Adamson and senior guard Luke Hicks. The 2019-2020 Liberty League Rookie of the Year, Adamson led the Saints in scoring (13.7 points) while ranking second in rebounding (6.6). He ranked ninth in the league in both scoring and rebounding while finishing third in blocked shots (39). An All-Liberty League honorable mention selection as a sophomore, Hicks finished 11th in the league in scoring (13.6 points) while contributing 6.1 rebounds along with 38 3-pointers. Junior guard Miles Davis saw action in 22 games off the bench as a rookie and will look to make a greater impact this season.
RIT (9-16, 6-12), which was among a group of teams that narrowly missed out on a spot in the Liberty League tournament, returns its top three scorers as it looks to secure a postseason bid this year. Senior guard Curtis Nesbit (12.9 points) is the team’s top returning scorer and one of the league’s top long-range shooters after connecting on 72 3-pointers (league-leading 44.2 percent). Junior guard Keegan Ocorr also averaged in double-figures (11.0 points) while dishing out a team-high 85 assists. Sophomore forward Kevin Ryan (9.2 points, 4.5 rebounds) split time as a starter and reserve as a rookie and should be a regular contributor this season.
Clarkson (8-17, 6-12) was one of a few teams in the region to play a competitive schedule last year, going 6-3 over nine games. The Golden Knights are hoping the schedule will provide dividends heading into this season. Junior guard Chris Hulbert was the team’s top scorer in the abbreviated season, averaging 14.0 points with a team-leading 25 3-pointers. Sophomore Blake Gearhart contributed 13.0 points off the bench while shooting 52.9 percent (45-for-85) from the field. Senior Joe Lucas (9.8 points) and junior Reese Swedberg (9.6 points) both return as starters for Clarkson, which averaged more than 85 points per game over nine games.
Skidmore (7-18, 6-12) is a youthful team with just two seniors among a roster of 14. Despite the youth, the Thoroughbreds return their top four scorers and are poised for a quick turnaround. Junior guard Tautvydas Kupstas led Skidmore at 13.2 points while connecting on a team-best 54 3-pointers. Senior guard Ty Lamport also averaged in double-digits (12.7 points) while contributing 6.1 rebounds, 63 assists and a team-best 24 steals. Junior forward/center Greg Skoric averaged close to a double-double with 9.2 points along with 8.3 rebounds and may emerge as one of the league’s top big men.
Bard (0-24, 0-18) has a new leader in the bench as head coach Michael Lenahan replaces veteran head coach and alum Adam Turner. Lenahan, who comes to Annandale following stints at Redlands and Whitman, inherits a roster of 19 players, but just one senior. The Raptors return five of their top six scorers as they seek to continue their development. Junior guard Elliot Harris emerged as one of the top rookie before his season was cut short due to injury. Harris ranked fifth in the league in scoring (15.7 points) while shooting 43.7 percent from 3-point range. Forward Stamatis Koulouris, the team’s lone senior, contributed 11.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and a team-leading 17 blocked shots. Junior guard Kevin Le, another player that saw extensive time as a rookie, averaged 8.2 points while shooting 50.0 percent from the field.
2019-20 Liberty League Men’s Basketball Standings
RPI (24-5, 17-1 LL)
Hobart (23-5, 15-3 LL)
Ithaca (24-6, 24-6 LL)*
Union (16-10, 12-6 LL)
Vassar (11-15, 7-11 LL)
St. Lawrence (8-17, 6-12 LL)
RIT (9-16, 6-12 LL)
Clarkson (8-17, 6-12 LL)
Skidmore (7-18, 6-12 LL)
Bard (0-24, 0-18 LL)
*2019-20 Liberty League Champions