Patriot League Men’s Basketball 2021-22 Season Preview

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – All 10 Patriot League men’s basketball programs will tip-off the 2021-22 season this week, including nine games on Tuesday night and one on Wednesday evening.
 
2021-22 Patriot League Men’s Basketball Team Capsules (Teams are listed by order of finish from the 2021-22 Patriot League Preseason Poll)
 
Boston University Terriers (7-11, 6-10 PL)
Head Coach: Joe Jones
Year at Boston University/Overall: 11th/18th
Starters Returning/Lost: 5/5
All-League Returners: Javante McCoy, Gr., G (2nd Team); Walter Whyte, Sr., F (3rd Team); Jonas Harper, Sr., G (Defensive Team); Sukhmail Mathon, Gr., F (Defensive Team)
NOTES: Head Coach Joe Jones returns all five starters, including 2021 Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year graduate student guard Javante McCoy (16.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg), and preseason All-League senior forward Walter Whyte (13.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg) to a team that has experienced recent success with the 2020 Patriot League title. Senior guard Jonas Harper (8.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.3 spg) and graduate student forward Sukhmail Mathon (11.2 ppg, 8.2 rpg) were all-defensive team selections during the 2020-21 season. Junior guard Ethan Brittain-Watts (4.7 ppg), who started 13 games last season, returns along with senior forward Fletcher Tynen (5.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg) and sophomore guard Daman Tate (4.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg), who both averaged more than 15 minutes per game.
BOSTON U TEAM PAGE
 
Colgate Raiders (14-2, 11-1 PL)
Head Coach: Matt Langel
Year at Colgate/Overall: 11th/11th
Starters Returning/Lost: 4/5
All-League Returners: Nelly Cummings, Sr., G (2nd Team); Tucker Richardson, Sr., G (3rd Team); Jeff Woodward, So., C (Rookie Team)
NOTES: Head Coach Matt Langel and the Raiders graduated 2020-21 Patriot League Player of the Year Jordan Burns, but returns four of five starters and seven of the squad’s top-eight scorers from the 2020-21 Patriot League Champion. Preseason All-League senior guard Nelly Cummings (12.4 ppg, .384 3PT FG%) and graduate student guard Jack Ferguson (12.5 ppg, .507 3PT FG%) are the Raiders returning leading scorers, while Ferguson shot a Patriot League-best .507 from 3-point range. Senior guard Tucker Richardson (11.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 4.3 apg) brings versatility to a balanced Colgate offense that led the League with 85.2 points per game last season. Junior forward Keegan Records (9.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg) and sophomore center Jeff Woodward (8.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg) provide a strong interior presence for a squad that outrebounded opponents by 4.8 rebounds per game last season.
COLGATE TEAM PAGE
 
Navy Midshipmen (15-3, 12-1 PL)
Head Coach: Ed DeChellis
Year at Navy/Overall: 11th/26th
Starters Returning/Lost: 4/5
All-League Returners: Richard Njoku, Sr., F (Defensive Team)
NOTES: 2020-21 Patriot League Head Coach Ed DeChellis returns four of five starters from a Navy team that finished with the best record in the League last season. The Midshipmen graduated First Team All-Patriot League guard Cam Davis. Senior guards John Carter Jr. (10.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg) and Greg Summers (10.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg) are back, along with senior forward Richard Njoku (7.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg), who was a Patriot League All-Defensive Team selection last season. Junior forward Tyler Nelson (5.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg) started each of Navy’s 18 games last season and returns, along with junior forward Daniel Deaver (7.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg), junior guard Patrick Dorsey (6.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and junior forward Jaylen Walker (5.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg), who were all regular members of the Midshipmen rotation last season.
NAVY TEAM PAGE
 
Army West Point (12-10, 7-7 PL)
Head Coach: Jimmy Allen
Year at Army West Point/Overall: 6th/12th
Starters Returning/Lost: 3/5
All-League Returners: Josh Caldwell, Sr., G (Defensive Player of the Year, Defensive Team); Jalen Rucker, So., G (Rookie Team)
NOTES: Head Coach Jimmy Allen returns three starters, including 2020-21 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year Josh Caldwell, who led the Black Knights in scoring with 12.6 points per game while shooting .350 from beyond the arc in 22 games. Sophomore guard Jalen Rucker had an impressive rookie campaign, averaging 9.6 points and 2.7 assists to earn a spot on the League’s all-rookie team. Sophomore forward Charlie Peterson (3.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg) is also back after starting 21 games last season, as Allen and the Black Knights will have to replace the production of graduated All-League guard Lonnie Grayson, Alex King and Tucker Blackwell, who combined for more than 30 points per game last season. The Black Knights will have 18 freshmen and sophomores on the roster, with eight juniors and seniors.
ARMY WEST POINT TEAM PAGE
 
American Eagles (4-6, 4-5 PL)
Head Coach: Mike Brennan
Year at American/Overall: 9th/9th
Starters Returning/Lost: 4/5
All-League Returners: Stacy Beckton Jr., Sr., G (Defensive Team); Johnny O’Neil, So., F (Rookie of the Year, Rookie Team)
NOTES: Head Coach Mike Brennan welcomes four starters back into the fold, including senior guard Stacy Beckton Jr., a two-time All-Patriot League Defensive Team honoree. Beckton is also the Eagles’ returning leading scorer, having averaged 13.1 points per game last season and shooting .452 from 3-point range. Sophomore forward Johnny O’Neil (9.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg) is also back after claiming Patriot League Rookie of the Year honors after an impressive first year, where he finished among the team’s best rebounders, while shooting .390 from the perimeter. Senior forwards Connor Nelson (6.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and Josh Alexander (9.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg), and junior guard Ben Lubarsky (4.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg) will also be counted on to help replace the production of First Team All-Patriot League guard Jamir Harris.
AMERICAN TEAM PAGE
 
Bucknell Bison (5-7, 4-6 PL)
Head Coach: Nathan Davis
Year at Bucknell/Overall: 7th/13th
Starters Returning/Lost: 2/5
All-League Returners: None
NOTES: Head Coach Nathan Davis will feature a young roster, with returning leading scorer Andrew Funk (12.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg) as the lone senior on the squad. He will team in the backcourt with junior point guard Xander Rice (10.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.3 apg), who finished among the League leaders in assists last season. The Bison will look toward sophomore center Andre Screen (7.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg), junior forwards Malachi Rhodes (1.7 ppg, 1.6 rpg), and Jake van der Heijden (3.3 ppg, 1.1 rpg), and junior center Alex Timmerman (1.4 ppg, 1.3 rpg). Sophomore guard Josh Adoh is also expected to make an impact after missing time during the 2020-21 season due to injury.
BUCKNELL TEAM PAGE
 
Lafayette Leopards (9-6, 9-5 PL)
Head Coach: Fran O’Hanlon
Year at Lafayette/Overall: 27th/27th
Starters Returning/Lost: 4/5
All-League Returners: Kyle Jenkins, So., F (Rookie Team)
NOTES: Head Coach Fran O’Hanlon and the Leopards welcome back four players who started seven or more games from a team that went 9-6 last season, but they will have to replace the offensive production of All-League guards Justin Jaworski and E.J. Stephens, who both finished among the League leaders in scoring last season. Junior forward Neal Quinn (10.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.8 apg) is back after a breakout sophomore season that saw him finish among the League leaders in assists. Junior forward Leo O’Boyle (8.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg) and senior guard Tyrone Perry (8.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.4 apg) are also returning starters that will provide scoring and veteran leadership for O’Hanlon’s squad. Sophomore forward Kyle Jenkins (8.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg) had a promising rookie campaign that saw him score in double figures in three of the last six games of the season and will also be back in the fold for the Leopards.
LAFAYETTE TEAM PAGE
 
Loyola Maryland Greyhounds (6-11, 4-10 PL)
Head Coach: Tavaras Hardy
Year at Loyola Maryland/Overall: 4th/4th
Starters Returning/Lost: 2/5
All-League Returners: None
NOTES: Head Coach Tavaras Hardy and the Greyhounds will be charged with replacing production from not only First Team All-Patriot League forward Santi Aldama, who became the third student-athlete in League history to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, but three other Greyhounds that played 20 or more minutes per game. Loyola Maryland will return senior guards Jaylin Andrews (11.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.4 apg) and Kenneth Jones (5.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg) along with junior guard Cam Spencer (10.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.0 apg), who was limited to five games last season, to a veteran-laden backcourt. Junior forward Golden Dike (7.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and sophomore forward Alonso Faure (5.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg) will lead the Greyhounds’ frontcourt after playing crucial roles in the team’s push to the 2020-21 Patriot League Championship Game last season.
LOYOLA MARYLAND TEAM PAGE
 
Holy Cross Crusaders (5-11, 5-11 PL)
Head Coach: Brett Nelson
Year at Holy Cross/Overall: 3rd/3rd
Starters Returning/Lost: 3/5
All-League Returners: Gerrale Gates, Sr., F (3rd Team)
NOTES: Head Coach Brett Nelson begins his third season in Worcester, Mass. with a young roster, but one that was able to gain valuable experience during the shortened 2020-21 season. The Crusaders will have returning All-League selection Gerrale Gates (16.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg), a preseason All-League selection, who finished among the League leaders in scoring and rebounding last season. Sophomore guard R.J. Johnson (8.5 ppg, 4.3 apg) started all 16 games last season and finished among the League leaders in assists. Sophomore guard Judson Martindale (6.2 ppg, 2.1 rpg) started eight games a season ago, and sophomore guard Bo Montgomery (4.3 ppg, 1.3 apg) started four. Both are expected to contribute to a team that lost a pair of double-figure scorers in Austin Butler and Matt Faw.
HOLY CROSS TEAM PAGE
 
Lehigh Mountain Hawks (4-11, 4-10 PL)
Head Coach: Brett Reed
Year at Lehigh/Overall: 15th/15th
Starters Returning/Lost:
All-League Returners: Marques Wilson, Gr., G (3rd Team)
Head Coach Brett Reed returns nine of 10 players who averaged double-digit minutes during the 2020-21 season, including five players who started nine or more games. Graduate student guard Marques Wilson (15.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.8 apg), a preseason All-League honoree, finished among the League’s leading scorers a year ago. Senior center Nic Lynch (12.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg) teamed with sophomore forward Dominic Parolin (6.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg) to form a solid interior tandem for the Mountain Hawks. Junior forward Evan Taylor (8.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg) is also back after finishing among the League leaders in rebounding in 2020-21. Senior forward Jeameril Wilson (8.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg) also returns after a strong finish to the 2020-21 campaign that saw him score a season-high 17 points in a tournament loss to Boston University.
LEHIGH TEAM PAGE
 
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.