Sports
Basketball teams lean on senior leadership to guide young rosters
By Patrick Malin ’18
November 13, 2015
The Hamilton men’s and women’s basketball teams look to succeed behind the performance of senior leaders and win games within the NESCAC against some of the best teams in Division III basketball. The teams open the winter season on Nov. 20, hoping to begin their seasons with victories against non-conference opponents.
The men’s team enters the season after losing standouts Joeseph Lin ’15 and Peter Kazickas ’15, the two leading scorers on the roster from last season. Lin, who is currently playing for the Fubon Braves in Taiwan’s Super Basketball league, also led last year’s squad in assists, steals and total points.
Despite the loss of these two significant contributors, head coach Adam Stockwell remains confident that young players will be able to step up and make an impact on the court. Stockwell said, “Fortunately, we have several players ready to emerge in larger roles this season with experience they gained last year. Although it is always a change when seniors graduate, we have a group ready to step up and move forward.”
Captains Ajani Santos ’16 and Jack Donnelly ’16 are primed to step up and perform this season, impacting the Continentals on the court as well as off, as they are the lone seniors on the roster. Donnelly proved himself as one of the best three-point shooters in the NESCAC last season, shooting 43.6 percent from beyond the arc, the fourth best percentage in the NESCAC. Santos averaged 10.5 points per game last season, as well as a team leading 5.6 rebounds per game. Both will be leaned upon heavily this season, establishing the culture of the team off the court and leading the team on the floor.
“It’s not hard to lead a group of guys like we have because frankly our team is made of hardworking, close-knit players who all possess leader qualities,” Santos said. Donnelly added, “As a team, we are constantly with each other, which made it that much easier for the freshmen to transition into the season and adopt our culture as a team of well-rounded individuals who enjoy being together and working hard.”
Coach Stockwell has been clear with his emphasis early in the season, focusing on what he believes will be the staples of the team: “Strong defense, consistent rebounding, and valuing the basketball. Certainly, building some on-floor chemistry and seeing who will step up as leaders are also crucial components of the early season.”
The men’s team will tip-off its season on Nov. 20 against Keuka College at the Harold J. Brodie Tournament in Rochester, NY. Over Thanksgiving break, the Continentals will host the Hamilton Invitational, a tournament featuring Hartwick, SUNY Cobleskill and Eastern Connecticut State, which is coached by Hamilton great Bill Geitner ’87 and is currently ranked 14th nationally.
Coach Stockwell expects the team “to be a better team in January and February than we will be in the fall semester. With 2/3 of our roster being underclassmen, there will be a lot of learning early on.” Stockwell continued, “As the season moves deeper into the season and into conference play, our belief in each other, our game experience, and confidence in what we can achieve as a team should be more developed which will allow us to compete at the highest level in NESCAC play.”
Donnelly said, “Expectations are the highest since I have been at Hamilton. This is the biggest and most athletic team I have ever been a part of.” Santos added, “We have a very talented group of guys and are showing signs of having what it takes to be very successful this year but we cannot lose our desire to win, no matter who we are playing.”
The women’s team enters the season after a playoff appearance in 2015, the second consecutive NESCAC playoff appearance under head coach Michelle Collins. The Continentals have high expectations heading into the season, with three returning seniors seeking to get back to the playoffs again this season.
Despite having two weeks less of practice than other Division III programs due to NESCAC regulations, the Continentals have been focused and motivated during the first few weeks on the court as a full team.
“In the first couple weeks of practice we are learning and implementing a lot of new offensive plays and sets. It’s important everyone is attentive and focused so that we can be successful,” Getman said. “Additionally, Coach Collins has stressed the importance of energy and communication. We are constantly talking to each other and bringing high energy to practice that will only lead to us growing better as a unit.”
Leading the Continentals is Samantha Graber, who was voted onto the NESCAC all-conference first team and the third team for the Northeast Region last season. Graber was the top scorer in the conference, averaging 17.6 points per game. Graber is only 10 points away from her 1,000th point at Hamilton, making her the program’s 10th player to reach this milestone. In addition to her scoring accolades, Graber led Hamilton in rebounds per game (9.5), blocks (12) and steals (44) last season.
Last season, the Continentals experienced the emergence of several young players that aim to continue their upward trajectories and make a significant impact on the court this season. Lauren Getman ’18 impressed in her first season, averaging 8.9 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per game, displaying an ability to be a threat in the post and outside the paint. Caroline Barrett ’17 led the team in assists last season, averaging three assists a game as the Continentals’ starting point guard.
Getman said, “our team is pretty young, as we have five first-years this year, but nevertheless we expect each of them and all of our returners to be a threat. We have time before NESCAC play starts in January to grow into a cohesive unit through playing in our non-league games, putting us in a great position once we get to league games.”
The Continentals begin their season with a matchup against RIT on Nov. 20 at Scott Field House, followed by another home contest on Nov. 23 against Skidmore. The NESCAC looks to be tough again this year, with three members ranked in the top-10 of the preseason Division III coaches poll.
“We intend to bring fast-pace play and relentless defense, and hope that this will help us to be successful in a such a competitive conference,” Barrett said. “Our expectations heading into the season are to perform well in NESCAC play and to make a run during playoffs. This year we have more depth, and hopefully this can contribute to us making it deeper into the NESCAC playoffs, and also help us to get a bid into the NCAA tournament.”