Men's College Basketball: St. Edward's University: Season Preview
2016–2017 season preview
men's basketball It is Andre Cook’s eighth season as head coach for St. Edward’s University men’s basketball, and he is hungry for a third-straight Heartland Conference Tournament appearance. The Hilltoppers came one game short of the finals in the 2015–2016 season and finished 18-12, marking Cook’s first back-to-back winning seasons as coach of the Hilltoppers. The native of Watervliet, New York, also won his 100th game as head coach for St. Edward’s. After graduating four seniors, including the program’s all-time steals leader Frankie Mgbolu, Cook returns nine players and brings in eight newcomers. In addition to the graduation of Cory Guderyahn, Quinton Lilley, Trey Lindsey and Mgbolu, the 2016–2017 squad will also be without sharpshooter Aubrie King who transferred in the offseason. “We feel good about our team going into the season,” said Coach Cook. “We are coming off a year where we lost a lot of close games. We have to grow from that experience and find ways to finish games. If we do that, we can have a very successful season.”
THE TEAM At the point guard position, junior Sean Watkins will play big minutes as the starting floor general. The Frisco, Texas, native returns 5.1 points per-game, 1.6 assists per-game and 21 steals. Freshman Mark Paterson will also compete for minutes at point guard. Also returning in the backcourt are Ramir Burton and John Gramlich who combined to score 26.7 points a game last season. They were the top-two leading scorers on the team and were both named honorable mention All-Heartland Conference. Joining the veterans is Appalachian State transfer Landon Goesling along with freshmen Matt Paterson and Dillon Young. In the frontcourt, Ethan Gilbert returns as a veteran who has played major minutes since his freshman year. Last season, he was second on the team in rebounds with 4.5 per-game, while also scoring 8.8 points per-game. Other returners at forward are Alex Doche and Lucas Doria. Doche saw limited minutes in 2015–2016, while Doria took a redshirt. Both are anticipated to have big years with the Hilltoppers. Newcomers Alex Doria, Charles Johnson III and Justin Robinson will compete for minutes with the rest of the returners. Familiar faces are back at center for Cook and the Hilltoppers. Cory McKendree and James Taylor bring back over 150 points and 10 blocks combined. Redshirt freshman Lyndon Cook will add depth at the position along with length and tremendous growth as a player. North Dakota transfer Kraig Shields joined the team in January last year and brings a broad wingspan and athleticism, a luxury Coach Cook has not had in a couple years. Shields will be a game-changer who protects the rim and brings a different dynamic to the paint.
Learn more about Hilltopper men's basketball at:
GoHilltoppers.com
“Replacing seniors is never easy. They helped create a winning culture in our program,” said Coach Cook. “However, we are bringing back Burton, Gramlich and Gilbert, who have started almost every game since their freshman year. We will rely heavily on that experience, supported by a group of younger players. We have huge strengths in a smart team that has great chemistry and is willing to play together.”
THE SCHEDULE The men’s slate in 2016–2017 consists of 31 games with three exhibitions and is highlighted by a trip to Puerto Rico. The first exhibition will be the Hilltoppers’ season opener against Texas A&M University in Reed Arena. After the trip to College Station, regular season play begins with the Hilltoppers’ third-straight year in the Heartland–Rocky Mountain Conference tip-off in Dallas, Texas. St. Edward’s has won the event for two-straight years. An exhibition and nonconference tilt will lead right into a trip to New York for a pair of games against Daemen College and Roberts Wesleyan. Then the team is off to Puerto Rico for a winter tour with contests against Pittsburg State, Puerto Rico–Rio Piedras and the University of Puerto Rico–Mayaguez. “We have a fun schedule ahead of us,” said Coach Cook. “We open at Texas A&M, which is very exciting for us. Their team is coming off of a big season, and playing in a SEC environment is a great experience. We will also take a trip to New York, which will be special for Ramir (Burton) and Alex (Doche), who are from the area. It will be fun to get out there, play against some good competition, and spend the holiday with our studentathletes and many of their families.” Upon their return from Puerto Rico, the Hilltoppers will face Trinity, Angelo State, Schreiner, Texas Lutheran, Texas A&M–Kingsville and an exhibition with Rice before firing up the Heartland Conference schedule. The league slate will lead off with Newman in Wichita, Kansas, and proceed to run the gauntlet of strong competition in a battle for a trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the Heartland Conference Tournament. “The Heartland Conference is full of talented teams with great coaches,” said Cook. “Almost every game will come down to the last four minutes and who can make the plays to win the close games. Also, we know we have to be better at home. To compete in the Heartland, you can’t lose at home. We have to be prepared for an 18-game grind when conference begins, and we won’t have any easy games.”
FINAL THOUGHTS “We have an interesting dynamic with our team being half new faces and half returners,” said Coach Cook. “We are excited for the season and feel good with the student-athletes we have. We have to have the smartest team and execute better than everyone else to be successful. If we do that, I believe we’ll be happy with the outcome.”
men's basketball It is Andre Cook’s eighth season as head coach for St. Edward’s University men’s basketball, and he is hungry for a third-straight Heartland Conference Tournament appearance. The Hilltoppers came one game short of the finals in the 2015–2016 season and finished 18-12, marking Cook’s first back-to-back winning seasons as coach of the Hilltoppers. The native of Watervliet, New York, also won his 100th game as head coach for St. Edward’s. After graduating four seniors, including the program’s all-time steals leader Frankie Mgbolu, Cook returns nine players and brings in eight newcomers. In addition to the graduation of Cory Guderyahn, Quinton Lilley, Trey Lindsey and Mgbolu, the 2016–2017 squad will also be without sharpshooter Aubrie King who transferred in the offseason. “We feel good about our team going into the season,” said Coach Cook. “We are coming off a year where we lost a lot of close games. We have to grow from that experience and find ways to finish games. If we do that, we can have a very successful season.”
THE TEAM At the point guard position, junior Sean Watkins will play big minutes as the starting floor general. The Frisco, Texas, native returns 5.1 points per-game, 1.6 assists per-game and 21 steals. Freshman Mark Paterson will also compete for minutes at point guard. Also returning in the backcourt are Ramir Burton and John Gramlich who combined to score 26.7 points a game last season. They were the top-two leading scorers on the team and were both named honorable mention All-Heartland Conference. Joining the veterans is Appalachian State transfer Landon Goesling along with freshmen Matt Paterson and Dillon Young. In the frontcourt, Ethan Gilbert returns as a veteran who has played major minutes since his freshman year. Last season, he was second on the team in rebounds with 4.5 per-game, while also scoring 8.8 points per-game. Other returners at forward are Alex Doche and Lucas Doria. Doche saw limited minutes in 2015–2016, while Doria took a redshirt. Both are anticipated to have big years with the Hilltoppers. Newcomers Alex Doria, Charles Johnson III and Justin Robinson will compete for minutes with the rest of the returners. Familiar faces are back at center for Cook and the Hilltoppers. Cory McKendree and James Taylor bring back over 150 points and 10 blocks combined. Redshirt freshman Lyndon Cook will add depth at the position along with length and tremendous growth as a player. North Dakota transfer Kraig Shields joined the team in January last year and brings a broad wingspan and athleticism, a luxury Coach Cook has not had in a couple years. Shields will be a game-changer who protects the rim and brings a different dynamic to the paint.
Learn more about Hilltopper men's basketball at:
GoHilltoppers.com
“Replacing seniors is never easy. They helped create a winning culture in our program,” said Coach Cook. “However, we are bringing back Burton, Gramlich and Gilbert, who have started almost every game since their freshman year. We will rely heavily on that experience, supported by a group of younger players. We have huge strengths in a smart team that has great chemistry and is willing to play together.”
THE SCHEDULE The men’s slate in 2016–2017 consists of 31 games with three exhibitions and is highlighted by a trip to Puerto Rico. The first exhibition will be the Hilltoppers’ season opener against Texas A&M University in Reed Arena. After the trip to College Station, regular season play begins with the Hilltoppers’ third-straight year in the Heartland–Rocky Mountain Conference tip-off in Dallas, Texas. St. Edward’s has won the event for two-straight years. An exhibition and nonconference tilt will lead right into a trip to New York for a pair of games against Daemen College and Roberts Wesleyan. Then the team is off to Puerto Rico for a winter tour with contests against Pittsburg State, Puerto Rico–Rio Piedras and the University of Puerto Rico–Mayaguez. “We have a fun schedule ahead of us,” said Coach Cook. “We open at Texas A&M, which is very exciting for us. Their team is coming off of a big season, and playing in a SEC environment is a great experience. We will also take a trip to New York, which will be special for Ramir (Burton) and Alex (Doche), who are from the area. It will be fun to get out there, play against some good competition, and spend the holiday with our studentathletes and many of their families.” Upon their return from Puerto Rico, the Hilltoppers will face Trinity, Angelo State, Schreiner, Texas Lutheran, Texas A&M–Kingsville and an exhibition with Rice before firing up the Heartland Conference schedule. The league slate will lead off with Newman in Wichita, Kansas, and proceed to run the gauntlet of strong competition in a battle for a trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the Heartland Conference Tournament. “The Heartland Conference is full of talented teams with great coaches,” said Cook. “Almost every game will come down to the last four minutes and who can make the plays to win the close games. Also, we know we have to be better at home. To compete in the Heartland, you can’t lose at home. We have to be prepared for an 18-game grind when conference begins, and we won’t have any easy games.”
FINAL THOUGHTS “We have an interesting dynamic with our team being half new faces and half returners,” said Coach Cook. “We are excited for the season and feel good with the student-athletes we have. We have to have the smartest team and execute better than everyone else to be successful. If we do that, I believe we’ll be happy with the outcome.”
