2014-15 Lehigh Men’s Basketball Season Preview
11/10/2014 2:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball
2014-15 Season Prospectus with stats, bios and more
The Lehigh men's basketball team showed glimpses of brilliance last season and gave fans a great deal to be optimistic about for the future because of such a young and talented team. The Mountain Hawks hung with the league's top teams and showed they could compete against (and beat) the Patriot League's best. This was done with players who were thrust into new roles, many of which were first-year college players.
"I love the position of our program at this point in time," said Lehigh head coach Brett Reed. "We have a young team that has tremendous potential as we move forward. However, we also have some unique elements in place for this year's team - maturity of our senior class and experience gained by younger players."
Featuring a more experienced (but still young) team, Lehigh looks to take the next step in 2014-15, back into the mix for a Patriot League Championship, which would be the program's third in six years.
"Hopefully experience gained, greater maturity, greater focus and greater consistency can result in even more effective results on the court," said Reed.
Let's take an in-depth look at the 2014-15 Mountain Hawks.
BACKCOURT
Senior Corey Schaefer is the experienced leader in the backcourt, and for the team. The only Lehigh player to start all 32 games last season, the Johnston, Iowa native averaged 8.3 points and 2.5 assists per game. Named the team's lone captain, Schaefer scored a career-high 16 points on two occasions, including a thrilling double overtime victory at Colgate in the Patriot League opener.
"Corey was forced into extended minutes as a junior because of lack of depth and experience," said Lehigh head coach Brett Reed. "He really answered the call tremendously well by playing at a pretty high level. We're going to continue relying on Corey to provide leadership and production on the floor, be a reliable shooter and a good decision maker. We can always count on Corey to do the right things – on and off the floor – which has created a tremendous amount of trust with our coaches and his teammates."
Schaefer was the team's backup point guard over his first two seasons before moving to shooting guard last season. Freshman Kahron Ross has emerged as a potential starter at point guard, which would allow Schaefer to remain off the ball, but Schaefer is still capable of playing the point as well.
From Jonesboro, Arkansas, Ross could become Lehigh's third consecutive four-year point guard (following Marquis Hall and Mackey McKnight).
"The graduation of Mackey creates a great opportunity for a younger player to step in and command those minutes," said Reed. "Right now, we have some top contenders, most notably Kahron, who as a freshman has shown tremendous poise and a good feel for the game. I expect some terrific things from him throughout the course of his career."
Sophomore Miles Simelton will also be in the mix at either guard position. Simelton's natural position is the two-guard, but was effective in his rookie campaign as the primary backup point guard last season, playing in all 32 games while averaging 1.8 points per contest.
"Miles brings an explosive and dynamic element," said Reed. "He has a very good perimeter shot, including a very strong pull-up jumper. He's got speed; he can be a defensive pest and a ball hawk."
Sophomore Austin Price has emerged at the wing position following an All-Rookie Team season. Price averaged 8.4 points last year, beginning with a bang by scoring 15 points in the season opener at Minnesota then 21 points in the home opener against Rider. He looks poised for a breakout sophomore campaign after continuing to progress over the offseason.
"This summer has been very big for Austin," said Reed. "We've seen tremendous growth in his game. In fact, he dominated at times in a lot of our workout and competitive situations which have carried over into the fall. We expect some very good things from him this year. He might be the player who is poised to take the biggest step if he continues on this current trend."
Senior Stefan Cvrkalj is squarely in the mix for playing time at the wing and potentially even power forward, which he did several times last season due to his size. Cvrkalj has struggled with injuries, but has played a significant role when healthy highlighted by 14 second-half points against Bucknell and Navy in two big Patriot League victories.
"Stefan was unable to compete for extended periods of time last season. I think a year of being fully recovered will increase his effectiveness and allow him to make a higher impact upon our program," said Reed. "For him, it will be maintenance and management to make sure he remains healthy and doesn't have reoccurring injuries, which has been an issue that's plagued him. If at full strength, we will rely on Stefan to be a sharp shooter, bring size for his position and complement the offensive attack that we have at the other positions."
There are several other players who could make an impact in the backcourt. One is Brandon Alston, a talented freshman out of Vienna, Virginia.
"Brandon has size and strength for the perimeter position where he can match up particularly well with some of our opponents," said Reed. "He can use that size and strength for his drive game, but he's also a very effective shooter from the perimeter. Because of that, he becomes a multi-dimensional threat offensively. Brandon has a scorer's mentality and one that we want to continue to cultivate. One of his biggest challenges will be adjusting to our system, our style of play and being able to find his opportunities while still moving the basketball effectively."
Junior Devon Carter returns stronger than ever after suffering a season-ending injury his freshman campaign. Carter contributed last season, especially on the defensive end, as he played himself into more and more playing time. In his season debut, Carter was asked to defend the Patriot League's leading scorer Dylon Cormier of Loyola.
"Devon has made very significant strides, primarily in the areas of attitude and effort. He's really set himself apart from his past and I'm really pleased to see the outcome and the process that's taken place," said Reed. "He's healthy this year. Last year, he was cleared, but it took a while for him to overcome his injury. Now, we're seeing a player who's playing with more confidence, we're seeing a player who's playing with more intensity and we're seeing someone who's more prepared to compete and contribute."
Freshman Tyler Jenkins is another young guard looking to contribute. The Fishers, Indiana native has shown especially strong defense this preseason while his offensive skills are continuing to develop very nicely.
"Tyler enters our program with tremendous speed, determination and quickness," said Reed. "He's got the ability to penetrate, he's got the ability to be a defensive nuisance and he's someone who really loves the game and wants to compete. We really appreciate that in Tyler."
Much like Jenkins, sophomore Cole Renninger is also an energy guy whose offensive game is continually improving.
"Cole gives tremendous effort and energy every single day," said Reed. "We've used him in some late-game press situations because we have a lot of confidence in his foot speed, his strength and his determination as a defensive presence. Both Cole and Tyler are very good passers and have a good feel for the game as well. It's just a matter of determining the right roles and opportunities for them."
Sophomore Georgios Pilitsis has been a positive influence to the team and helps his teammates improve through his work in practice.
"Georgios can compete well within our practice and make his teammates better," said Reed. "He's someone who everybody seems to like and enjoy being around. Because of that, he's been a great teammate."
FRONTCOURT
Sophomore Tim Kempton leads the way in the frontcourt following a Patriot League Rookie of the Year campaign. Kempton is the team's leading returning scorer (13.0 points per game) and rebounder (7.1 per contest). He posted six double-doubles last season and eclipsed 20 points on four occasions.
"Tim demonstrated that he can be a very effective player at the Division I level and was a cornerstone piece for our offense," said Reed. "We only expect him to continue improving throughout the course of his career."
Kempton showed exceptional improvement even within his freshman season. After posting no more than three rebounds in any of his first five games, Kempton reached double figures on seven occasions, including a career-high 15 boards at Saint Francis (Pa.).
"I anticipate that Tim will be a foundational piece for our offensive attack moving forward," said Reed. "In addition to Tim, we have Justin Goldsborough who had a stretch of three to four weeks of playing excellent basketball within our league last year. If he's able to perform that way with consistency, it would give us a tremendous lift."
A junior, Goldsborough has primarily played center in his career, but can play power forward as well. One stretch from January into early February featured five double-figure scoring efforts in eight games. The Fort Washington, Maryland native shot an impressive 62.1 percent from the field while averaging 5.0 points and 2.9 rebounds last season.
"I've been pleased with Justin's growth and maturity," said Reed. "His intensity level has increased, his focus has improved. Hopefully, we'll see the dividends of this personal growth this season."
Another option at the five spot is senior Conroy Baltimore, who could also slide to power forward. Baltimore enjoyed an up-and-down 2013-14 season, which included a number of highlight moments which he looks to build upon in his senior campaign.
"A long-armed, fairly athletic player whose body has transformed over the course of his career, Conroy is one of the stronger players in our program," said Reed. "Health will be a major factor as he's battled a knee injury which removed him from action last November. If he can remain healthy, his experiences and sense of urgency as a senior can hopefully pay dividends for us."
The starting power forward for most of last season was junior Jesse Chuku, who showed brilliance at times, but was unable to maintain consistency of play.
"Inconsistency was a major factor in Jesse's overall production and performance," said Reed. "It was his first year playing competitive basketball at the collegiate level and with that came an adjustment and a curve that we think he'll ultimately improve upon. It was also only the second year out of the last four that he was able to play a competitive season of basketball. That gives us some context in understanding his journey and why we believe we are beginning to see a bright future for Jesse."
Chuku finished the year averaging 8.7 points and 5.9 rebounds, highlighted by a career-high 26-point, 15-rebound effort against Sacred Heart.
"Jesse has worked hard in the offseason to try and make his game more well-rounded," said Reed. "He spent a lot of time early in his career building his jump shot and shot mechanics to be a consistent shooter. We saw evidence of that by being a reliable threat from the perimeter, but we also want him to be able to utilize his athleticism, length and size to be able to score in a variety of ways, including his drive game, his face-up game from the post and impacting the games in other ways besides his jump shot."
The Mountain Hawks have several options at power forward beyond Chuku as Goldsborough or Baltimore could play the position, or even smaller players with more guard-oriented skills like Cvrkalj or Alston.
Two transfers who have the potential to make an impact are John Ross Glover and Khalid McCaskill, who bring a combination of size and athleticism.
There are some unknowns, but clear upside with McCaskill. The Harlem, New York native joined the program midway through last season, but was limited in practice due to injury. McCaskill was a preferred walk-on at UCLA.
"Khalid came to our program and didn't have a lot of opportunities with repetitions to learn our system," said Reed. "Now he's starting on the same ground floor as everybody else. He's been healthier this year, which gives us a chance to evaluate him. He's someone who is a cerebral player, has a good feel for the game and seems to be multi-dimensional with his offensive attack."
Glover is eager to begin his Lehigh playing career after practicing with the team all of last season, but being forced to sit out due to NCAA transfer rules. John Ross averaged 3.9 points and 1.6 rebounds at Lipscomb two years ago, highlighted by a 16-point effort against USC Upstate. Despite being just 6-foot-4, he is extremely athletic.
"John Ross is an explosive athlete. He's got strength, size and a lot of the physical attributes that could make him a contributor for our program," said Reed. "His perimeter jump shot has improved immensely over this past year. That, complemented with his athleticism, could give him a role within our team - to bring that excitement and be an energy type of player."
OUTLOOK
The pieces of the 2014-15 Mountain Hawks are starting to fit together. One of the most important aspects is establishing an identity and building back the culture that Lehigh has grown accustomed to during its successful runs. It's up to the senior class to set the tone and Schaefer, Cvrkalj and Baltimore have done that.
"I've been very impressed with our senior class and the way they've handled the responsibility of leadership," said Reed. "They bring experience and maturity to our team. They've made themselves very credible as mentors and as leaders."
Schaefer especially has stood out, which led to him being named captain.
"Corey has made himself distinctive as a leader. Through the course of his career, he has gained a tremendous amount of respect from his teammates because of his work ethic, desire and overall commitment level," said Reed. "He has translated that with greater confidence based on experience gained. Corey is a true voice for our program that can help our coaching staff deliver messages to our team and can also be the catalyst for the internal type of team leadership that we know will be very important."
As Schaefer admitted, "We have a lot to prove. We want to get back to the winning ways like early in our careers. We want to be a blue collar, hard-working team. I just want to be a consistent guy to help lead this team to our goals."
Those goals are 100 percent focused on the here and now.
"Although many would recognize that the future is really bright for Lehigh basketball, our focus is on this year's team and the goals and aspirations that we have for this upcoming season," said Reed. "Those remain lofty in our players' mind, they remain lofty in our coaching staff's mind and we are going to work extremely hard every day with the idea of building, day by day, to the best process and product we can for this upcoming season."
The Lehigh men's basketball team showed glimpses of brilliance last season and gave fans a great deal to be optimistic about for the future because of such a young and talented team. The Mountain Hawks hung with the league's top teams and showed they could compete against (and beat) the Patriot League's best. This was done with players who were thrust into new roles, many of which were first-year college players.
"I love the position of our program at this point in time," said Lehigh head coach Brett Reed. "We have a young team that has tremendous potential as we move forward. However, we also have some unique elements in place for this year's team - maturity of our senior class and experience gained by younger players."
Featuring a more experienced (but still young) team, Lehigh looks to take the next step in 2014-15, back into the mix for a Patriot League Championship, which would be the program's third in six years.
"Hopefully experience gained, greater maturity, greater focus and greater consistency can result in even more effective results on the court," said Reed.
Let's take an in-depth look at the 2014-15 Mountain Hawks.
BACKCOURT
Senior Corey Schaefer is the experienced leader in the backcourt, and for the team. The only Lehigh player to start all 32 games last season, the Johnston, Iowa native averaged 8.3 points and 2.5 assists per game. Named the team's lone captain, Schaefer scored a career-high 16 points on two occasions, including a thrilling double overtime victory at Colgate in the Patriot League opener.
"Corey was forced into extended minutes as a junior because of lack of depth and experience," said Lehigh head coach Brett Reed. "He really answered the call tremendously well by playing at a pretty high level. We're going to continue relying on Corey to provide leadership and production on the floor, be a reliable shooter and a good decision maker. We can always count on Corey to do the right things – on and off the floor – which has created a tremendous amount of trust with our coaches and his teammates."
Schaefer was the team's backup point guard over his first two seasons before moving to shooting guard last season. Freshman Kahron Ross has emerged as a potential starter at point guard, which would allow Schaefer to remain off the ball, but Schaefer is still capable of playing the point as well.
From Jonesboro, Arkansas, Ross could become Lehigh's third consecutive four-year point guard (following Marquis Hall and Mackey McKnight).
"The graduation of Mackey creates a great opportunity for a younger player to step in and command those minutes," said Reed. "Right now, we have some top contenders, most notably Kahron, who as a freshman has shown tremendous poise and a good feel for the game. I expect some terrific things from him throughout the course of his career."
Sophomore Miles Simelton will also be in the mix at either guard position. Simelton's natural position is the two-guard, but was effective in his rookie campaign as the primary backup point guard last season, playing in all 32 games while averaging 1.8 points per contest.
"Miles brings an explosive and dynamic element," said Reed. "He has a very good perimeter shot, including a very strong pull-up jumper. He's got speed; he can be a defensive pest and a ball hawk."
Sophomore Austin Price has emerged at the wing position following an All-Rookie Team season. Price averaged 8.4 points last year, beginning with a bang by scoring 15 points in the season opener at Minnesota then 21 points in the home opener against Rider. He looks poised for a breakout sophomore campaign after continuing to progress over the offseason.
"This summer has been very big for Austin," said Reed. "We've seen tremendous growth in his game. In fact, he dominated at times in a lot of our workout and competitive situations which have carried over into the fall. We expect some very good things from him this year. He might be the player who is poised to take the biggest step if he continues on this current trend."
Senior Stefan Cvrkalj is squarely in the mix for playing time at the wing and potentially even power forward, which he did several times last season due to his size. Cvrkalj has struggled with injuries, but has played a significant role when healthy highlighted by 14 second-half points against Bucknell and Navy in two big Patriot League victories.
"Stefan was unable to compete for extended periods of time last season. I think a year of being fully recovered will increase his effectiveness and allow him to make a higher impact upon our program," said Reed. "For him, it will be maintenance and management to make sure he remains healthy and doesn't have reoccurring injuries, which has been an issue that's plagued him. If at full strength, we will rely on Stefan to be a sharp shooter, bring size for his position and complement the offensive attack that we have at the other positions."
There are several other players who could make an impact in the backcourt. One is Brandon Alston, a talented freshman out of Vienna, Virginia.
"Brandon has size and strength for the perimeter position where he can match up particularly well with some of our opponents," said Reed. "He can use that size and strength for his drive game, but he's also a very effective shooter from the perimeter. Because of that, he becomes a multi-dimensional threat offensively. Brandon has a scorer's mentality and one that we want to continue to cultivate. One of his biggest challenges will be adjusting to our system, our style of play and being able to find his opportunities while still moving the basketball effectively."
Junior Devon Carter returns stronger than ever after suffering a season-ending injury his freshman campaign. Carter contributed last season, especially on the defensive end, as he played himself into more and more playing time. In his season debut, Carter was asked to defend the Patriot League's leading scorer Dylon Cormier of Loyola.
"Devon has made very significant strides, primarily in the areas of attitude and effort. He's really set himself apart from his past and I'm really pleased to see the outcome and the process that's taken place," said Reed. "He's healthy this year. Last year, he was cleared, but it took a while for him to overcome his injury. Now, we're seeing a player who's playing with more confidence, we're seeing a player who's playing with more intensity and we're seeing someone who's more prepared to compete and contribute."
Freshman Tyler Jenkins is another young guard looking to contribute. The Fishers, Indiana native has shown especially strong defense this preseason while his offensive skills are continuing to develop very nicely.
"Tyler enters our program with tremendous speed, determination and quickness," said Reed. "He's got the ability to penetrate, he's got the ability to be a defensive nuisance and he's someone who really loves the game and wants to compete. We really appreciate that in Tyler."
Much like Jenkins, sophomore Cole Renninger is also an energy guy whose offensive game is continually improving.
"Cole gives tremendous effort and energy every single day," said Reed. "We've used him in some late-game press situations because we have a lot of confidence in his foot speed, his strength and his determination as a defensive presence. Both Cole and Tyler are very good passers and have a good feel for the game as well. It's just a matter of determining the right roles and opportunities for them."
Sophomore Georgios Pilitsis has been a positive influence to the team and helps his teammates improve through his work in practice.
"Georgios can compete well within our practice and make his teammates better," said Reed. "He's someone who everybody seems to like and enjoy being around. Because of that, he's been a great teammate."
FRONTCOURT
Sophomore Tim Kempton leads the way in the frontcourt following a Patriot League Rookie of the Year campaign. Kempton is the team's leading returning scorer (13.0 points per game) and rebounder (7.1 per contest). He posted six double-doubles last season and eclipsed 20 points on four occasions.
"Tim demonstrated that he can be a very effective player at the Division I level and was a cornerstone piece for our offense," said Reed. "We only expect him to continue improving throughout the course of his career."
Kempton showed exceptional improvement even within his freshman season. After posting no more than three rebounds in any of his first five games, Kempton reached double figures on seven occasions, including a career-high 15 boards at Saint Francis (Pa.).
"I anticipate that Tim will be a foundational piece for our offensive attack moving forward," said Reed. "In addition to Tim, we have Justin Goldsborough who had a stretch of three to four weeks of playing excellent basketball within our league last year. If he's able to perform that way with consistency, it would give us a tremendous lift."
A junior, Goldsborough has primarily played center in his career, but can play power forward as well. One stretch from January into early February featured five double-figure scoring efforts in eight games. The Fort Washington, Maryland native shot an impressive 62.1 percent from the field while averaging 5.0 points and 2.9 rebounds last season.
"I've been pleased with Justin's growth and maturity," said Reed. "His intensity level has increased, his focus has improved. Hopefully, we'll see the dividends of this personal growth this season."
Another option at the five spot is senior Conroy Baltimore, who could also slide to power forward. Baltimore enjoyed an up-and-down 2013-14 season, which included a number of highlight moments which he looks to build upon in his senior campaign.
"A long-armed, fairly athletic player whose body has transformed over the course of his career, Conroy is one of the stronger players in our program," said Reed. "Health will be a major factor as he's battled a knee injury which removed him from action last November. If he can remain healthy, his experiences and sense of urgency as a senior can hopefully pay dividends for us."
The starting power forward for most of last season was junior Jesse Chuku, who showed brilliance at times, but was unable to maintain consistency of play.
"Inconsistency was a major factor in Jesse's overall production and performance," said Reed. "It was his first year playing competitive basketball at the collegiate level and with that came an adjustment and a curve that we think he'll ultimately improve upon. It was also only the second year out of the last four that he was able to play a competitive season of basketball. That gives us some context in understanding his journey and why we believe we are beginning to see a bright future for Jesse."
Chuku finished the year averaging 8.7 points and 5.9 rebounds, highlighted by a career-high 26-point, 15-rebound effort against Sacred Heart.
"Jesse has worked hard in the offseason to try and make his game more well-rounded," said Reed. "He spent a lot of time early in his career building his jump shot and shot mechanics to be a consistent shooter. We saw evidence of that by being a reliable threat from the perimeter, but we also want him to be able to utilize his athleticism, length and size to be able to score in a variety of ways, including his drive game, his face-up game from the post and impacting the games in other ways besides his jump shot."
The Mountain Hawks have several options at power forward beyond Chuku as Goldsborough or Baltimore could play the position, or even smaller players with more guard-oriented skills like Cvrkalj or Alston.
Two transfers who have the potential to make an impact are John Ross Glover and Khalid McCaskill, who bring a combination of size and athleticism.
There are some unknowns, but clear upside with McCaskill. The Harlem, New York native joined the program midway through last season, but was limited in practice due to injury. McCaskill was a preferred walk-on at UCLA.
"Khalid came to our program and didn't have a lot of opportunities with repetitions to learn our system," said Reed. "Now he's starting on the same ground floor as everybody else. He's been healthier this year, which gives us a chance to evaluate him. He's someone who is a cerebral player, has a good feel for the game and seems to be multi-dimensional with his offensive attack."
Glover is eager to begin his Lehigh playing career after practicing with the team all of last season, but being forced to sit out due to NCAA transfer rules. John Ross averaged 3.9 points and 1.6 rebounds at Lipscomb two years ago, highlighted by a 16-point effort against USC Upstate. Despite being just 6-foot-4, he is extremely athletic.
"John Ross is an explosive athlete. He's got strength, size and a lot of the physical attributes that could make him a contributor for our program," said Reed. "His perimeter jump shot has improved immensely over this past year. That, complemented with his athleticism, could give him a role within our team - to bring that excitement and be an energy type of player."
OUTLOOK
The pieces of the 2014-15 Mountain Hawks are starting to fit together. One of the most important aspects is establishing an identity and building back the culture that Lehigh has grown accustomed to during its successful runs. It's up to the senior class to set the tone and Schaefer, Cvrkalj and Baltimore have done that.
"I've been very impressed with our senior class and the way they've handled the responsibility of leadership," said Reed. "They bring experience and maturity to our team. They've made themselves very credible as mentors and as leaders."
Schaefer especially has stood out, which led to him being named captain.
"Corey has made himself distinctive as a leader. Through the course of his career, he has gained a tremendous amount of respect from his teammates because of his work ethic, desire and overall commitment level," said Reed. "He has translated that with greater confidence based on experience gained. Corey is a true voice for our program that can help our coaching staff deliver messages to our team and can also be the catalyst for the internal type of team leadership that we know will be very important."
As Schaefer admitted, "We have a lot to prove. We want to get back to the winning ways like early in our careers. We want to be a blue collar, hard-working team. I just want to be a consistent guy to help lead this team to our goals."
Those goals are 100 percent focused on the here and now.
"Although many would recognize that the future is really bright for Lehigh basketball, our focus is on this year's team and the goals and aspirations that we have for this upcoming season," said Reed. "Those remain lofty in our players' mind, they remain lofty in our coaching staff's mind and we are going to work extremely hard every day with the idea of building, day by day, to the best process and product we can for this upcoming season."
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G/F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
C/F
/ Men's Basketball
G/F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballSeason Preview: Men's Basketball
Thursday, October 31
Lehigh Sports Central: Men's Basketball
Wednesday, October 30
Lehigh Sports Central: Men's Basketball
Wednesday, February 07
Men's Basketball vs SUNY Oneonta
Thursday, November 16
