New-look Mountain Hawks begin preseason practice
10/3/2017 10:46:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Tickets
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Coming off two straight Patriot League Championship Game appearances, the Lehigh men's basketball team opened practice on Saturday with a new look, but the same goal. The Mountain Hawks feature only four players who saw significant minutes last season, but they return a strong core of talent, looking to lead a young team back into championship contention.
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"The chemistry seems to be at a high level, and I hope that carries over to what we're doing on the floor," said Lehigh head coach Brett Reed. "Basketball is such a team sport and right now, those team elements, unselfishness and maturity are coming through, which is a really positive sign."
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Despite losing their top two scorers from last season in Tim Kempton (who finished his career with 2,043 points) and Austin Price (who recorded 1,453 career points), the Mountain Hawks return plenty of talent, led by three-time All-Patriot League point guard Kahron Ross. Meanwhile, Kyle Leufroy, who finished third on the team in scoring last season (11.4 points per game), owns 690 points through his first two seasons.
(10/3/2017) Men's Basketball Begins Practice
"We put in a lot of work this offseason," said Leufroy. "It's a new group of guys, but we're on a mission after we fell short of our goals the past two years. I am an upperclassman now, so I do have to be a leader for the younger guys and embrace a bigger role. I'm looking forward to it."
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Along with Ross and Leufroy, sophomores Pat Andree and Jordan Cohen both made significant impacts during their rookie campaigns. Andree averaged 6.5 points per game while Cohen scored 5.4 per contest. Junior East Carolina transfer Lance Tejada is also set to hit the floor after sitting out last season due to transfer rules. He did practice with the team.
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"We return some experience with our guards," said Reed. "We have players who have played a pretty prominent role for our program. We're going to include some new guards and some fresh faces, and I think the backcourt will be a strength. Hopefully, we can remain healthy and get solid production from some of our frontcourt players. We're going to see a lot of new faces. There isn't necessarily a ton of returning experience, but Pat Andree really helps us bridge that gap as someone with a little bit of seasoning."
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Between strong returnees and an impressive core of newcomers, the potential to compete for a championship is in place. But to realize that potential, Lehigh is looking to develop strong team chemistry.
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"Our relationship has grown since last year," said Ross. "I think this team is a lot closer, which will help us on the court in terms of trusting each other and doing whatever it takes to win. As a senior, I'm trying to be vocal, always helping my teammates and staying positive."
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The Mountain Hawks began practice on Saturday, but they've already had opportunities to grow as a unit through offseason workouts and other team activities.
Â
"So far, this group has taken steps forward," said Reed. "They understand that they can't do it by themselves. Their chemistry and relationships are at a high level, and they're all focused on what this team could be."
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For now, the focus is on improving every day at practice as the Mountain Hawks prepare for their season opener on Saturday, Nov. 11 at Marist.
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"We need lay the foundation of everything we're doing, but we also have to understand that everything we're doing is going to be revolving around team," said Reed. "On the first day, we worked a lot on our defense, but it's not one person at defense. It needs to be all five guys out there working as a unit, really being a team. You can apply that same principle to rebounding and you can apply that principle to our offensive attack. It's about being together and being a team."
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Like Lehigh Men's Basketball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more.
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"The chemistry seems to be at a high level, and I hope that carries over to what we're doing on the floor," said Lehigh head coach Brett Reed. "Basketball is such a team sport and right now, those team elements, unselfishness and maturity are coming through, which is a really positive sign."
Â
Despite losing their top two scorers from last season in Tim Kempton (who finished his career with 2,043 points) and Austin Price (who recorded 1,453 career points), the Mountain Hawks return plenty of talent, led by three-time All-Patriot League point guard Kahron Ross. Meanwhile, Kyle Leufroy, who finished third on the team in scoring last season (11.4 points per game), owns 690 points through his first two seasons.
"We put in a lot of work this offseason," said Leufroy. "It's a new group of guys, but we're on a mission after we fell short of our goals the past two years. I am an upperclassman now, so I do have to be a leader for the younger guys and embrace a bigger role. I'm looking forward to it."
Â
Along with Ross and Leufroy, sophomores Pat Andree and Jordan Cohen both made significant impacts during their rookie campaigns. Andree averaged 6.5 points per game while Cohen scored 5.4 per contest. Junior East Carolina transfer Lance Tejada is also set to hit the floor after sitting out last season due to transfer rules. He did practice with the team.
Â
"We return some experience with our guards," said Reed. "We have players who have played a pretty prominent role for our program. We're going to include some new guards and some fresh faces, and I think the backcourt will be a strength. Hopefully, we can remain healthy and get solid production from some of our frontcourt players. We're going to see a lot of new faces. There isn't necessarily a ton of returning experience, but Pat Andree really helps us bridge that gap as someone with a little bit of seasoning."
Â
Between strong returnees and an impressive core of newcomers, the potential to compete for a championship is in place. But to realize that potential, Lehigh is looking to develop strong team chemistry.
Â
"Our relationship has grown since last year," said Ross. "I think this team is a lot closer, which will help us on the court in terms of trusting each other and doing whatever it takes to win. As a senior, I'm trying to be vocal, always helping my teammates and staying positive."
Â
The Mountain Hawks began practice on Saturday, but they've already had opportunities to grow as a unit through offseason workouts and other team activities.
Â
"So far, this group has taken steps forward," said Reed. "They understand that they can't do it by themselves. Their chemistry and relationships are at a high level, and they're all focused on what this team could be."
Â
For now, the focus is on improving every day at practice as the Mountain Hawks prepare for their season opener on Saturday, Nov. 11 at Marist.
Â
"We need lay the foundation of everything we're doing, but we also have to understand that everything we're doing is going to be revolving around team," said Reed. "On the first day, we worked a lot on our defense, but it's not one person at defense. It needs to be all five guys out there working as a unit, really being a team. You can apply that same principle to rebounding and you can apply that principle to our offensive attack. It's about being together and being a team."
Â
Like Lehigh Men's Basketball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more.
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