The Lehigh men's basketball team has reached two straight Patriot League Championship games. Having lost 2,000-point scorer Tim Kempton and 1,000-point scorer Austin Price to graduation, the 2017-18 version of the Mountain Hawks will look significantly different, but a strong core remains which looks to lead a talented young group back into championship contention.Â
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Led by senior three-time All-Patriot League honoree Kahron Ross and junior Kyle Leufroy, there's no doubt these Mountain Hawks have plenty of potential. However, they understand that potential can't equal success if there isn't cohesiveness.
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"I'm very pleased with the chemistry and the disposition of this team thus far," said Lehigh head coach Brett Reed. "They have demonstrated a fairly high level of unselfishness and togetherness. Our players are focused on many of the intangible aspects of our program, their team and the game that should result in positive outcomes. We believe we're building something that is solid and that will be a source of strength for us as we continue to progress."
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Here's how the 2017-18 Mountain Hawks are coming together.
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PERIMETER PLAYERS
Lehigh is in a strong position at the guard position, chock full of veteran returnees and talented newcomers.Â
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"We have a number of players who have played a meaningful role within our program, plus we have the opportunity to have newcomers influence that position as well," said Reed.
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A three-year starter, Ross returns at point guard as a distinguished player both at Lehigh, and in the Patriot League. Entering the season with 533 career assists, he's eying the school and league all-time career assists records (currently 578 and 599, respectively).Â
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"Kahron has been an effective on-the-floor player," said Reed. "He's gotten recognition at the league level, and has marked his place in the record books in regards to his playmaking ability."
Meanwhile, Leufroy was a key contributor from day one as a freshman, averaging 10.6 points per game as a freshman, then 11.4 as a sophomore, Leufroy is a 43 percent career shooter from three-point range (97-of-226), which is 11th nationally among active players.Â
Senior Kahron Ross
"Kyle has demonstrated that he can be a very reliable shooter and scorer for our program," said Reed. "He has a solid frame, a nice shooting touch and a courage about him that can be really utilized. One of the most impressive things about Kyle is his growth in maturity and how he can influence the team in a positive way. He is taking on more and more of a leadership role within our program."
A strong and deep backcourt also includes sophomore Jordan Cohen, who averaged 5.4 points last season, shooting 46 percent from the field, 38 percent from three-point range and 92 percent from the free throw line. In Cohen's first home game in Stabler Arena, he scored 20 points and dished six assists. Cohen is coming off a gold medal this summer with the United States at the Maccabiah Games.
"Jordan has the ability to shoot the basketball. He is very crafty with the ball and has a lot of talent," said Reed. "As he continues to grow, mature and build greater consistency, he will be someone who influences more and more contests in a positive way."
Junior East Carolina transfer Lance Tejada will make his Lehigh debut in 2017-18 after sitting out last season. Through two seasons at ECU, he averaged 4.2 points and dished 93 assists in 64 games.
"I believe Lance can have a significant impact for our program," said Reed. "Having had the chance to watch him in practice this past year, it's apparent he's someone who can score the basketball. He shoots the ball well, but can also make plays off the dribble for himself and for his teammates. He has a base set of talent that's impressive, and it will be interesting to see how he complements and works with our returning players."
Two talented freshmen look to make an impact in the backcourt as well. The No. 3 ranked player by Prep Hoops Missouri, Caleb Bennett was a three-time All-State honoree.
"This preseason, Caleb has played extremely hard on every single possession, which has highlighted his athleticism, his length and his defensive ability," said Reed. "He can get out on the wing in transition and finish. He also has shot credibility from the perimeter, which not only opens up his perimeter game, but also puts a defender in a difficult position because he can drive and use his athleticism to finish at and above the rim."
Meanwhile, Marques Wilson was ranked as the No. 5 ranked player by Prep Hoops Oklahoma and was a three-star, top 50 shooting guard by ESPN.
"Marques is an intelligent player who is ahead of his time as a freshman," said Reed. "He seems to understand the game, understand angles and defensive help positions. He's already demonstrated he can shoot the basketball fairly effectively. I look for him to continue to grow and evolve over the course of his career. He is off to a promising start."
Senior walk-on Jay Jay Davis looks to continue to positively impact the program in 2017-18.
"Jay Jay's responsibility will be to support and push his teammates in practice and bring a positive attitude and strong work ethic, day in and day out," said Reed.
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FRONTCOURT
Sophomore forward Pat Andree looks to build off a freshman season, which saw plenty of strong moments - highlighted by a 30-point effort vs. Saint Francis (Pa.) on 10-of-12 three-point shooting. He also tallied 16 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks in Lehigh's big win at Bucknell. Andree finished the season third on the Mountain Hawks in made three-pointers with 40.
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"Pat shoots the ball very well and he has a fairly high basketball feel," said Reed. "He's someone who fits well into our offensive concepts because he can stretch the floor and can pass the ball from the perimeter. Because of that overall skill level, he's a threat and makes us harder to guard."
Sophomore Pat Andree
Sophomore forward Ed Porter joins the program after graduating from Florida Southwestern State College in one year where he tallied 9.8 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 57 percent from the field in 2016-17.
"Ed has demonstrated that he has a solid feel for the game," said Reed. "He seems to touch the game in a variety of different ways and will often make small plays that can easily go unnoticed, but have value and benefit his team out on the court. I believe his overall maturity and general feel for the game will allow him to transition quickly into our program and allow him to play a meaningful role for us."
Freshman preferred walk-on Shane Acoveno is another new face at forward.
"Shane is athletic and explosive vertically," said Reed. "He, like many freshmen, is learning and adjusting. But he's had ad good attitude and he's made a positive contribution in our practices.
At the post position, freshman James Karnik out of Surrey, British Columbia should see significant time in the middle.
"James has been impressive so far this preseason," said Reed. "He's a hard worker who has strong levels of athleticism and strength. He has influenced the game in practice - from rebounding the basketball to finishing. We believe that he'll have a promising career at Lehigh. Due to injury, he'll probably be thrust into more of a role as a freshman, so one of the biggest responsibilities is helping him really understand our system so he can make as quick a transition as possible to the speed, athleticism and physicality of the college game."
Two returners look to work their ways back to the court at some points in 2017-18 after suffering injuries that kept them out all last season.
"We look forward to having both Caleb Sedore and Jack Lieb join us at various points throughout the year," said Reed. "Caleb is progressing along very well and is on a reasonable timeline for return. He's invested a great deal into his personal development. I've seen tremendous growth in him academically, in his strength and in the way in which he cares for his body. We're very hopeful that it will continue to translate into positive results for him as he gets closer and closer to being able to compete in practice.
"We continue to wait on Jack Lieb's return with optimism. He is really taking control of the things he can control and has done an excellent job of embracing what is a difficult injury challenge; he's shown strong character throughout that process."
Sophomore walk-on Josh Wolf also returns in the middle. Â
"Josh is back once again in a support role," said Reed. "He understands that bringing his best attitude, commitment and energy is required to fulfill an important role for our team this year.
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OUTLOOK
Lehigh will feature an impressive core of guards, which will serve as an important strength in a Patriot League, which is typically full of strong guard play. Ross and Leufroy are the team's top returning guard, but they understand they can't just focus on themselves. They need to be strong leaders in order for the Mountain Hawks to reach their potential.
"To go along with a positive culture that we're seeing, we have some returning players who are doing a good job of being vocal and attempting to uphold the standards of our program at a high level," said Reed. "It's still a work in progress at this stage of the year, but there are promising signs from our returning players. There is even a strong influx of newcomers who understand what Lehigh Basketball is about and they're doing an excellent job in supporting a winning culture that is so important for success.
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Junior Kyle Leufroy
The Mountain Hawks will have plenty of opportunities to get better. They continue to challenge themselves with a strong nonleague schedule, highlighted by games at USC, Pittsburgh and Virginia, but also includes strong regional teams like Monmouth, Siena, Princeton and more.Â
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In the end, it's a new season, featuring a different team but the same goals. As a program, Lehigh men's basketball has shown impressive consistency, finishing in the top four of the Patriot League standings (and hosting a quarterfinal game) for seven times in the last eight years.
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"We've become accustomed to putting ourselves in a position to compete for championships, year in and year out," said Reed. "We had significant losses due to graduation of prominent players, but it's also an exciting time because there are a lot of opportunities that present themselves when you have changeover in roster. It's a great opportunity to almost recreate ourselves and go back to the basics of what's really important for our program."
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So far, one aspect of the Mountain Hawks' identity is being a tight-knit group that wins or loses together.
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"Our team has been very willing to share the basketball and share the spotlight," said Reed. "It sets a tone when you have a senior like Kahron Ross who's willing to distribute the basketball and play unselfishly, which becomes infectious and contagious. I've been pleased with what I've seen, not only individually, but also what they're trying to do together."
