Last season in the then UCAA, now Liberty League, conference tournament championship game, then senior center Jared Hite poured in 40 points as the Rensselaer men’s basketball team fell just 11 points shy of an NCAA playoff berth. It was the most successful season for the Red Hawks in recent memory.
And entering the 2004-2005 campaign, one would expect a repeat performance of last season. Not so fast.
Despite losing just two seniors to graduation, the Red Hawks begin the season unsure of what kind of team they will be. Hite, along with fellow senior and center Greg Harrison, leave RPI not only a lot smaller, but desperately searching to replace a player the Red Hawks relied on for both defense and offense.
“We lost the best player in the league,” Rensselaer Head Coach Mike Griffin said. “He demanded touches. His absence will force us to change our style of play this season.”
Rensselaer ran a slow, steady offense in 2003-2004, running their entire offense through the 6-foot-8 inch tree that stood tall in the middle. However, with a serious lack of size, Griffin has been forced to reassess his options. Senior guard and captain Paris Moore, along with a familiar cast of athletic characters, will have to step up in Griffin’s new transition style of play.
“We are going to get out and press, and mix up the defenses,” Griffin, now in his 21st season as RPI’s Head Coach, said. “We want to really try to get out in transition this season.”
Griffin has described the shift as a work in progress, saying the team looks “better some days than others.” Moore will be the leader of the new fast break attack along with new starting point guard Neil Wesson, sharpshooter John Van Schaick, and sixth man Kori Massey.
“Wesson is very nifty around the basket and Paris expects to score every time he touches the ball,” Griffin said. “Massey will give a nice boost of athleticism off the bench.”
Senior captain Van Schaick has served mainly as a spot up shooter for the Red Hawks over his first three seasons, but Griffin expects a lot more from his six foot, five inch forward this year.
“John has really improved over the summer,” Griffin said. “He no longer is just a jump shooter. He has really developed his shot off the dribble. If he can become a threat around the basket, he will create some huge match up problems on some smaller guards.”
And the Red Hawks can use the help down low. Matt Zepernick standing at just six foot, four inches and Tom Schneider at six foot, six inches will round out the starting five, leading the undersized Rensselaer front line.
What Zepernick and Schneider lack in size they make up for in ability. Their proven shooting touch and ball handling skills will allow Griffin to run a interchangeable offense, where all players and positions can rotate spots on the floor. The big mens’ versatility will also allow Rensselaer to effectively switch off-ball screens and double-team the on-ball variety.
After the top six, however, Rensselaer needs several bench players to step up. Griffin highlighted six foot, seven inch center Russell Herman as a key for RPI.
“Russell has worked really hard and really got bigger physically,” Griffin said. “We need him to be big since he is our only true center.”
In the back court, junior Joe Johnson recently joined the team after completing a successful season with the men’s soccer team. Johnson will bring some added quickness and energy off the bench. Paul Halas will most likely also see some time as his decision making continues to improve.
“We need to create some depth,” Griffin plainly stated. “Beyond the top six there are a lot of minutes available at the seven through 10 spots.”
The uncertainty surrounding the Red Hawks has led many around the league to ponder some questions about RPI’s ability to compete in the once again extremely competitive Liberty League.
“We are certainly being underestimated,” Griffin said. “But that’s understandable given we lost the league’s best player and didn’t add any big factors.”
Hamilton lost hall of fame coach Tom Murphy, who retired after an amazing 33-year career. His replacement, former Clarkson coach Tobin Anderson, inherits a team full of talent, including last season’s co-Rookie of the Year, Tsakane Ngobeni. And in case that wasn’t enough Anderson also brought with him the league’s other co-Rookie of the Year, Nick Jones, who caused all sorts of problems for the Red Hawks last season.
Union, who RPI eliminated from the playoffs last year, also has all their key players back, while Skidmore will boast a team with seven seniors.
“The league title always leads through Clinton, N.Y,” Griffin said. “Union will certainly be looking to get us back after we bounced them out of the playoffs last season. Winning any game in the conference is going to be tough.”
But league play doesn’t begin for Rensselaer until January 14 at Union. Until then, the Red Hawks will have plenty to worry about in their non-league schedule.
The team opens their season against Capital this weekend in Buffalo at the Buffalo State Tournament. Capital recently took on the Division I Dayton Flyers, holding a four-point lead early in the first and trailed just six at halftime. Dayton eventually won the game by 20 points.
“We haven’t had a [preseason] tournament in years,” Griffin said. “It would be nice to get one and get off to a good start. We have four chances [to win a tournament].”
“But the key this preseason is to improve and be ready for Union in January.”
