New Paltz 2011-12 men's basketball season preview
NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The State University of New York at New Paltz men's basketball team enters a new era under first-year head coach Mike Rejniak, as the Hawks aspire to advance past the first round of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Men's Basketball Championship Tournament in 2011-12 and seriously challenge for NCAA Championship Tournament consideration.
Last year, the Hawks were 11-14 overall and 7-11 in the SUNYAC, and they qualified for the SUNYAC Men's Basketball Championship Tournament for the second time in as many years. It marked the first time in more than a decade that the program had reached the conference tournament in consecutive seasons, but the sixth-seeded Hawks were bounced out of the tournament in the first round for the second year in a row by SUNY Plattsburgh. After losing just one senior to graduation and with four of five starters from last year returning, the Hawks expect to establish themselves as a formidable presence in the league and maintain a tradition of success.
In 2010-11, New Paltz started out 9-5 overall and 5-3 in conference play, holding a strong position in the SUNYAC standings midway through the season. Fatigue set in, however, as the Hawks faltered down the stretch and narrowly missed an opportunity to host a SUNYAC Tournament quarterfinal-round game.
"What we're going to do is do a lot of different things with how we manage practice and how we manage our different game strategies so that the fatigue that has traditionally happened in January doesn't occur this year," Rejniak said.
Senior guard/forward Harris Wichard (Merrick, N.Y./Bellmore JFK) headlines the Hawks' group of returners, as the two-year team captain earned Third-Team All-SUNYAC honors after averaging a team-best 14.0 points per game in 2010-11. Last year, Wichard became just the 13th player in program history to score 1,000 points during his career, and he looks to ascend the program's scoring chart this season, bringing 1,062 career points into the 2011-12 campaign. Wichard possesses the ability to hurt teams from long range, as he shot 38.6 percent from beyond the arc last year off 49-of-127 shooting.
In the post, 7-foot senior center Daniel Olsen (Stafford Springs, Conn./Wilbraham and Munson) gives the team an intimidating presence. Olsen averaged 8.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game last season, and he has the ability to notch a double-double on any given day. Olsen led the team in rebounding and also paced the Hawks in block shots with 28 on the season.
Last year, senior guard Jermain Wallace (Spring Valley, N.Y./Silver Bluff) was turned to for production at the point, and he appears to be in the driver's seat to run the offense in 2011-12 as the starting point guard. He collected 31 assists during the season last year and added 3.7 points per game. In recognition of his leadership, Wallace was appointed as a team co-captain this season.
Junior forward Matt Devine (Manalapan, N.J./Freehold Township) is another returning starter who will be looked to for leadership both on and off the court. Devine, who is serving as a team co-captain for the second straight year, averaged 13.3 points per game and 4.9 boards per game in 2010-11, and he undoubtedly will be a factor once again in 2011-12. Junior guard Nick Taldi (Merrick, N.Y./Bellmore JFK) anticipates a larger role this season, as the team will lean on his three-point shooting ability. Taldi shot 35.2 percent (38-of-108) from deep in 2010-11 and averaged 8.7 points per game.
"With Matt Devine and Nick Taldi, specifically, their roles will be stepped up to a level I'm not sure if people really thought could be attained by them," Rejniak said. "I've really seen some great things out of Matt with his versatility, and it's the same thing with Nick."
Sophomore guard/forward Taylor Sowah (Bronx, N.Y./Miller Place) also returns and will provide a spark off the bench. Sowah shot 40 percent from the floor off 30-of-75 shooting and offered 3.8 points per game and 33 total assists last year. He, too, will see a lot more minutes and will have a more visable role on the team this season.
"I'm looking for Taylor Sowah to really step up," Rejniak said. "He does a great job at getting to the rack, and he's now shooting the three better than some of the players who have characteristically been shooters on our team before, so I'm really looking forward to that."
Junior guard Shalik Jenkins (Brooklyn, N.Y./Boys and Girls) returns to the team after a two-year layoff from college basketball. Jenkins, an agile and athletic point guard, averaged 6.8 points per game and 1.7 assists per game for the Hawks in 2008-09.
After being named to the men's soccer All-SUNYAC Second Team, senior guard/forward Jamal Lis-Simmons (Highland, N.Y./Highland) trades his cleats for basketball shoes, as the 29-year-old's remarkable story will carry over to the New Paltz men's basketball team. Lis-Simmons, a decorated athlete, offers conditioning and quickness to complement his intelligence.
"I think Jamal is a fantastic student-athlete," Rejniak said. "He's a great story. Back in the days coming out of high school, he was the Player of the Year in the region, and he just chose to go the soccer route. Coming back, he's getting his basketball legs back, but I'm telling you, that soccer defense is really paying off on the court right now."
Three freshmen fill out the remainder of the roster. Forward/center Alan Siergiej (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by-the-Sea) will help anchor the low block as a 6-foot, 7-inch lefthander. Guard/forward Matt Pierson (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) adds to the Hawks' already-deep arsenal of shooters, while guard Josh Engler's (Newtown, Conn./Newtown) hustle and work ethic reinforce the team's blue-collar attitude.
New Paltz's schedule is challenging once again, as the Hawks travel to the University of Scranton for the Radisson Invitational from Nov. 18-19 to open up their season and square off with regional-rival Mount Saint Mary College on Nov. 22 on the road. On Nov. 30, the Hawks contest Vassar College in their first home tilt of the year, and they host SUNY Fredonia and Buffalo State on Dec. 2 and 3, respectively, to begin conference play. A road game against Plattsburgh, a home game against non-conference Montclair State University and a home game against SUNY Oneonta round out the rest of New Paltz's slate before the turn of the calendar year.
The Hawks visit St. John Fisher College on Jan. 3 in Rochester, N.Y., and they play 10 straight league contests before taking on New York University in their final non-conference bout of the regular season. From Feb. 10-14, New Paltz enjoys a three-game home stand against SUNY Cortland, SUNY Oswego and Plattsburgh, and it concludes its regular season on Feb. 18 at Oneonta. The 2012 SUNYAC Men's Basketball Championship Tournament runs on three different dates: the quarterfinals will be held on Feb. 21 at the sites of the top four seeds, while the semifinals and final will run from Feb. 24-25 at the site of the highest-remaining seed.
"I think having good, quality non-conference opponents is the only way to go," Rejniak said. "It's going to be the barometer of what we need to work on, and it will prepare us for this tough league."
After a month of practices and preparation, Rejniak is optimistic about the upcoming season and is looking forward to building upon the foundation set by former head coach Dagan Nelson.
"I'm looking forward to seeing this group maintain the success that it has in the fall semester and span it over two semesters," Rejniak said. "Coach Nelson did a great job with recruiting and implementing the system, and my job is just to take that system to a whole new level."
