Men's Basketball 2018-19 Season Preview
The men's basketball team, led by Gregg Drzal and assisted by Skip Hart, opens the 2018-2019 season this Wednesday, October 31st against Webb Institute at 8 PM.
Last season, the Sound defeated Webb Institute by a score of 111-62. Five Towns currently competes in the USCAA Conference (United States Collegiate Athletic Association). In the 2017-18 season, the men finished with a 13-6 overall record, 7-5 in the USCAA.
The men have seven players returning from a successful 2017-18 season. Returning to the team this year are Kyree Sawyer, Ismail Shabazz, John Francois, Obasi Jackson, Corey Jacques, Anthony Priest, and Quincy Simmons. Incoming players looking to make a mark in the program are Christian Williams, Nigel Braithwaite Jr., Blake Peterson, Rony Lambre, Marino Castillo, and Lloyd Middlebrooks.
A USCAA All-American Honorable Mention for the 2017-18 season, Kyree Sawyer stepped into a leading role for the Sound as a freshman. He led the team in scoring with an average of 19.7 points (375 total), assists with 2.5 per game (47 total), and a team-high 48 steals on the season. Sawyer scored a career-high 32 points in a 102-91 victory at Vaughn last season. Entering his sophomore year, Sawyer looks to continue to make his mark in Five Towns basketball.
The men also have their top rebounder, John Francois, returning this year for his third season with the Sound. Francois led the team with 8.1 rebounds per game (154 total). He also totaled 22 blocks on the season. Francois earned six double-doubles last year, which gives him eight career double-doubles. His most impressive game of the season was against Vaughn, scoring 21 points and 11 rebounds.
The majority of teams that Five Towns will face this year are also members of the HVIAC (Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference). Going into November, the team plays two home games against Touro College (Nov. 8) and Culinary Institute (Nov. 11). The last games of Novemeber will be played at the Penn State Scranton Tournament on November 16-18.
In December, the Sound will play conference games against Vaughn and New Rochelle, along with two non-conference match-ups against ASA and Touro. New Rochelle was the Runner-Up in last year's HVIAC Championship.
The men return two play in the new year with three USCAA match-ups; at Davis (Jan. 16), versus Bryant & Stratton (Jan. 19), and versus King's (Jan. 21). The team will play a game against Monroe College before returning to conference play on January 27th against Pratt.
The Sound will finish the season out in February with four more USCAA contests, when they play King's, Pratt, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and New Rochelle. The final home game of the year will be played on February 14th, when the team takes on Touro College at 8:30 PM.
For the full 2018-19 schedule, click here.