Brown Bears (13-15 overall, 7-7 league)
Projected starting five:
Sr. G Sean McGonagill
Fr. G Tavon Blackmon
Jr. G Longji Yiljep
So. F Cedrick Kuakumensah
Jr. C Rafael Maia
Important departures:
Two starters are gone from last season’s team: G Matt Sullivan (14.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.7 spg) and F Tucker Halpern (9.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.3 spg). Also gone are F Tyler Ponticelli (3.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.5 apg) and G Stephen Albrecht (6.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg).
Returning:
54.2 percent of scoring and 69.1 percent of rebounding
Additions:
Fr. G Tavon Blackmon
Fr. G Norman Hobbie
Fr. F Leland King
Fr. G Matty Madigan
Fr. F-C Aram Martin
Fr. G Steven Speith
Schedule Highlights:
The Bears have six home games in non-league play, including the last three, a stretch which starts with a visit from Rhode Island. The rest of the schedule is not overwhelming, with trips to Providence, Bryant and Northwestern looking like the toughest ones. In Ivy League play, the toughest stretch may be at the end, as they play four in a row on the road and then come home to play Dartmouth and Harvard.
Projected finish and outlook:
In short order, Mike Martin has his alma mater going very much in the right direction. The first step was forging an identity, which the team lacked a year earlier in part because injuries and other issues ripped the roster to shreds. Next was playing to that identity and staying healthy, which they largely did. And while they will miss Sullivan and Albrecht on the perimeter, they have plenty of potential there, especially if any freshmen besides Blackmon make an impact right away. McGonagill has made this team go for three years and now has good help around him, and Blackmon should only make his life a little easier and Yiljep showed some potential early last season. The frontcourt is in better shape, as Kuakumensah was the league’s top defensive player as a freshman, Maia can own the boards and they get Dockery Walker back from injury. The Bears have a lot of room for improvement offensively, as only two Ivy teams turned the ball over more and only Dartmouth shot a lower percentage from the floor. While they are a good defensive team, they aren’t going to turn teams over, so taking better care of the ball will be paramount to win the possession battle.
