PITMAN --- NJCU and Stockton deadlocked with five first-place votes each as they have both been tabbed as preseason favorites to win the NJAC men’s basketball title in 2021-22, based on a poll of the league’s head coaches.
Rowan, rejoining after not competing in the shortened spring season, has been picked third. TCNJ was predicted fourth and Montclair State rounds out the top five predictions. Ramapo was picked sixth, Rutgers-Newark seventh, and Kean – which was predicted eighth – has been named the dark horse team to watch this year. William Paterson (9) and Rutgers-Camden (10) round out the predictions.
The 2021-22 season opens on Saturday, Nov. 6, and the first conference games are slated for Tuesday, Nov. 23.
NJCU enters the season on the heels of the 2020-21 conference title and returns the main core of that squad. Three-time All-Conference honoree Denzel Banks is back; he earned First Team honors last season after leading the Gothic Knights to the tournament title and averaged 10.8 points and 6.3 rebounds. Leading scorer Derryen Whyte returns; he was the NJCU top point-getter with 12.4 per game. Sophomore center Michael Clement, last year’s NJAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year, returns after pulling down 6.0 rebounds and blocking nearly two shots per game in his rookie season. Defense once again looks to be the strength of the NJCU squad, but they will look to gel five new players into the mix. With a very difficult non-conference schedule – which includes top-ranked Randolph-Macon, second-ranked Yeshiva, and ninth-ranked St. Joseph’s (CT) – the Gothic Knights are poised for another strong NJAC year.
Stockton returns its core group of players that tied for the regular season title in 2019-20 and made a run to that NJAC championship game. Two-time All-Conference pick DJ Campbell is back to lead the way. He was a First Team honoree in the shortened spring season after averaging 13.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. Two-time All-Conference honoree Kyion Flanders returns as well. He averaged 9.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and over two steals per game in the spring. First Teamer Luciano Lubrano returns for his senior season; he added 12.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists to a very balanced squad last year. Head Coach Scott Bittner is excited for the depth of his squad that should make a strong run through the conference gauntlet.
Rowan returns to the court after not competing in the spring, but Head Coach Joe Crispin sees great depth and enthusiasm in his squad this season. Junior guard Connor Dickerson is the leading returning scorer, averaging 9.1 points per game in 2019-20 while pulling down 4.1 rebounds. Senior guard Ryan Leary returns after posting 8.3 points per game two years ago, and sophomore guard Damian Smith looks to step up into a more regular role after seeing nearly 18 minutes in reserve as a rookie. The Profs also welcome many newcomers thanks to the season off, including several collegiate transfers.
TCNJ was picked fourth and will have to replace the services of 2020-21 NJAC Player of the Year Travis Jocelyn, but Head Coach Matt Goldsmith is pleased with the depth of his young squad. Senior forward Danny Bodine looks to lead the strong group of returners. Bodine earned All-Conference honors last season with 11.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Junior guard Jason Larranaga is the team’s leading returning scorer after posting 12.3 points per game last year, and junior guard Anthony DiCaro chipped in double figures with 10.6 points per game.
Montclair State, fifth in the poll this season, also returns two All-Conference honorees in junior forward Steve Breeman and senior forward Irviing Callender. Breeman is the leading returning scorer and rebounder, averaging 15.8 points and 8.8 boards last season. Callender is also a double threat, scoring 12.6 points per game and pulling down 7.0 boards last year. Sophomore guard Devin Cooper returns after posting double figure scoring in his rookie year with 11.0 points per game; Cooper also dished out a team-high 4.1 assists. Head Coach Justin Potts is pleased with the depth and quickness of his team that should shoot well from the perimeter, but also looks to develop his team’s defense further.
Ramapo was predicted to finish sixth this season. The Roadrunners did not compete in the shortened spring season, and will have an entire new look from the 2019-20 squad that finished third in the league standings that year. The lone returning starter from that squad is Marquise Kindel, who chipped in 9.4 points and 5.4 rebounds in 2019-20. Manny Warren, who transferred in midway through the 19-20 season, returns after adding 6.9 points. Frank Venezia looks to step up this season after seeing a few minutes of reserve action two years ago. Head Coach Chuck McBreen welcomes a large crop of new players looking to stake out a starting role and help the new Roadrunners make a splash in conference play.
Rutgers-Newark brings back a group of experienced players, including two-time All-Conference honoree Quincy Rutherford along with senior center Dante Ralph and junior forward Jamir Patterson. Rutherford is the leading returning scorer after putting up 12.2 points per game last year. Ralph led the team in rebounding with 5.4 boards while chipping in 7.8 points, and Patterson contributed in the balanced squad with 9.2 points and 4.2 rebounds. Head Coach Joe Loughran will look to the experienced players to help gel a strong group of newcomers.
Kean, this year’s dark horse selection, brings back a very experienced core nucleus of players looking to make a splash in the conference standings. Junior guard JD Daniels was Second Team All-Conference last season and is the leading returning scorer in the conference after posting 16.9 points per game last year. Senior guard Jailen Jamison, the 2018-19 NJAC Rookie of the Year, was tied for sixth among all NJAC scorers last year with 13.0 points and was second in the conference with 5.3 assists. Senior forward Nate Lyles also returns, adding another scoring threat as he averaged 10.7 points last year. In all, Kean brings back over 40 points per game in its top three scorers. Head Coach David Turco also welcomes a handful of collegiate transfers to add to the depth, including Letrell West (Northern Michigan), Patrick Strzala (Mineral Area CC), and Jeff Nolen (Carolina University).
William Paterson brings back several experienced players, particularly at the guard position. Two-time All-Conference pick Domenic Mignone returns for a fifth season. He and junior forward Adryan Lopez are the leading returning scorers after tying for team-high honors last year with 13.0 points per game. Mignone also grabbed 3.4 rebounds and dished 2.6 assists, while Lopez contributed 5.0 rebounds and grabbed 2.4 steals last year. Senior guard Nick Rodriguez returns after not playing last season; he looks to step up after chipping in 4.5 points in 13.6 minutes per game of reserve action in 2019-20. Head Coach Brian Chapman will look to the experience of his core group to overcome a lack of size on this year’s Pioneer squad.
Rutgers-Camden returns two of its top three scorers from last year, including the leading rebounder. Sophomore guard Gavin Henry paced the Scarlet Raptors with 10.4 points and 5.8 rebounds last season. Junior guard Jaymes Savage led the squad in rebounding with 6.4 boards while chipping in 7.6 points and dishing 2.9 assists. Sophomore forward Tristan Cornish gained valuable experience in his rookie season last year, and looks to step up after chipping in 5.6 points and 3.6 rebounds. Head Coach Stuart Pradia welcomes a very large class of newcomers, including Virginia State transfer Jordan Carter.
2021-22 NJAC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll (first place votes in parentheses)
1. (tie) NJCU (5) & Stockton (5)
3. Rowan
4. TCNJ
5. Montclair State
6. Ramapo
7. Rutgers-Newark
8. Kean (dark horse)
9. William Paterson
10. Rutgers-Camden