College Basketball Practice Report (October 22–29)
With the season starting November 10th, programs are working hard to be the best versions of themselves.
Last week, we were able to view three area practices to assess the prospects of the season.
Takeaways:
Difference in style of the practices
At Quinnipiac under new head coach Baker Dunleavy, practice resembled a conductor trying to get the most out of his orchestra. Dunleavy was very strategic in his comments.
MAAC champions, Iona College, exude confidence. The players push the limits. The coaching staff doesn’t get overly worked up. They keep two modern dumbells on the side, when a player does something wrong, they are assigned a number of reps.
For Fordham University a big part of practice is the vibe. Coaches are really getting after it- high energy, high enthusiasm.
Players that caught my eye
Quinnipiac
Senior, Chaise Daniels. The 6'9" forward is the heart and soul of the team. He brings energy and confidence. Consistent offensive force from 15' and in.
Junior, Abdulai Bundu. At 6'7", Bundu plays much bigger. He is relentless on the glass and in pursuit of the ball. Bundu has some limitations offensively but makes up for it with all out hustle.
Graduate transfer, Isaiah Washington (6'4") will be called upon to steady the backcourt. Washington plays with good pace and should be a big contributor.
6'6" freshman, Jacob Rigoni is going to be an important player for the Bobcats. A confident shooter, Rigoni and fellow freshman, Rich Kelly (6'1") provide a perimeter threat to open up the opportunities inside.
6'8" sophomore, Kevin Marfo, a transfer from George Washington will be a big addition for the Bobcats. Marfo is part of the core of what the new coaching staff is putting together. Marfo and Travis Atson (injured) are sitting out this season.
Iona
All-league player Deyshonee Much was sitting out practice with an injury along with 6'10" Andri Ristanovic.
The MAAC pre-season pick to win the conference, Iona continues to excel with an freestyle offense with an army of players that can bury the three-point shot and are fearless to shoot it.
Sitting out this year is 6'6" RMU transfer, Isaiah Still who is going to be an-league caliber player for the Gaels. Still has good range and will be a difficult matchup for MAAC foes.
Guard Zach Lewis, transfer from UMass and Canisius, will step right in to replace Sam Cassell Jr. and his ten points per game.
The guard trio of Ricky McGill, EJ Crawford and Schadrac Casimir, all who logged 20+ minutes a game a season ago — are back.
Challenging the upperclassman guards is 6'1" freshman CJ Seaforth. Seaforth is both the problem and the solution all in one. He makes freshman mistakes (and too many of them) but flashes high level talent. If the process comes quicker for him, Seaforth could be a star in the MAAC. If he struggles to harness in his mistakes, it could be frustrating freshman year behind veteran guards.
Replacing all-league post player, Jordan Washington will be the biggest challenge. Iona brought in Illinois State transfer, Roland Griffin and Tulsa graduate transfer T.K. Edogi to fill the void. Washington provided a post-game that was extremely effective in conference play that will be missed. Griffin and Edogi are athletic, multi-dimensional players who will have to carve out their niche on the offensive end.
Fordham
The Rams return three players who averaged 20 minutes per game last season and one (Nemanja Zarkovic) is out indefinitely.
Sharpshooting, Joseph Chartouney is back and will be counted on to score the basketball.
Perris Hicks who missed last season with an injury, will be an important backcourt player. Hicks is from Los Angeles and transferred in from San Bernandino Valley College. Hicks will compete at the point guard position.
Sophomore, Tre Evans, a transfer from Kilgore College, will also be in the mix. Evans can play either guard position and should be an important piece to the team.
Senior, Will Tavares will bring his activity and defense to the frontcourt. Other players who could emerge as key contributors to the frontcourt production are:
David Pekárek, the 6'7" junior who had his season cut short last season due to injury is back and should play a big role.
6'8" Chuba Ohams, from the Bronx, provides Fordham athleticism. With confidence, Ohams could develop into a special talent.
6'10" Prokop Slanina, the thin, long Czech product is back on the court after having last season cut short due to injury. Slanina has good range to match his height and length.
The margin for error for the Rams will be small in the A-10. Defense and execution will be key.
