Nov. 15, 2001
Stony Brook, N.Y. -
Stony Brook men's basketball season preview
What a difference a year makes. After a 6-23 mark in its inaugural Division I season, Stony Brook turned in one of the most remarkable single-season turnarounds in the country last year. Thanks in large part to an outstanding recruiting class and a senior transfer from Providence, the Seawolves posted a 17-11 mark, including a stunning 13-1 record at home.
Success came off the court as well. In January, Stony Brook accepted an invitation to become a member of the America East beginning in the 2001-02 season.
The Seawolves enter the 2001-02 campaign as a young squad looking to make its mark, a stark contrast from a year ago. After losing six players to graduation last spring, the 2001-02 roster has only one senior and includes nine underclassmen.
But for the first time, the Seawolves will have something to play for -- a conference title and a chance to advance to the NCAA tournament.
Guards - If there is a strength to this team early on, it will most likely come from the guards. D.J. Munir returns after a terrific first season in 2001-02 and with the addition of transfer Larry Jennings, the Seawolves have the makings of an outstanding backcourt.
Munir surpassed all expectations in 2000-01. Recruited as a shooting guard, he was moved to the point guard position in the preseason and excelled all season long. He started 27 games at the point, averaging a team second-best 10.8 points and team-high four assists per game. On 18 occasions he scored in double figures, shooting over 44 percent from the floor and 81.5 percent from the free throw line. Munir impressed enough in his first season to earn preseason accolades this year as Basketball News selected him preseason Second-Team All-Conference this fall.
D.J.'s play will be vital to this year's team. "We expect D.J. to be very good this season. He will be counted on to score points, make shots from the outside and be a leader on this team," head coach Nick Macarchuk said.
Jennings, a transfer from St. Joe's (Pa.), should be a terrific addition. Rated as the top newcomer in the America East by Street & Smith College Basketball magazine, he possesses a wealth of experience, having started 52 games of Atlantic-10 action while enrolled at St. Joe's (Pa.) from 1998-00. One of only a handful on New York City high schoolers to score over 2,000 points in a career, he started 28 games as a freshman, averaging 6.3 points and finishing second on the team in assists.
A hard-nosed player, Jennings has improved his shooting to go along with his ability to get to the basket. His knack for getting to the basket should land him at the free throw line this season and that is where Jennings will make opponents pay. At St. Joe's, he connected on 80 percent of his free throws.
"In the beginning of the season, we will be so young in the frontcourt that we will need our backcourt players to lead us in the early going. We are hoping that Jennings and Munir can do that for us," Macarchuk said.
Lee Church spelled Munir off the bench last season and will backup Munir again this year. He provided some spark in that role and helped Stony Brook to a dramatic comeback win over Albany at home last year after Munir went down to injury early in the game.
Three newcomers are perimeter players that will see time in the backcourt as well. Patrick Spitler, a transfer from Canisius, is the best conditioned player on the team who is determined to find time on the court this season.
A pair of freshmen may hold plenty of promise for the young Seawolves. Mike Orfini, who starred at one of the best high school programs in Gonzaga HS in Washington, D.C., and Pieter Nieuwenhuyzen have impressed the coaching staff early on this fall. Both of these players will need to fill the void left by three-point specialist Josh Little, who graduated last spring as the program's all-time three-point leader. The 6-5 Orfini was ranked as the No. 8 prospect in the East by USA Today after helping lead Gonzaga HS to a 28-7 record and an appearance in the WCAC championship game last year by averaging 17 points and nine rebounds per game.
Niewenhuyzen scored 17 points and pulled down six rebounds per game as a senior at Branson High School in California before moving on to Maine Central Institute last season.
Backup guard Trevor Bryant returns in 2000-01 as well. Bryant has shown flashes of being able to contribute for the Seawolves despite missing most of last season with a broken foot.
Forwards - Sophomore Mike Konopka will play some small and power forward. The 6-9 big man from Toms River, N.J. showed tremendous potential last season. A big man with the ability to play underneath and away from the basket, Konopka worked extremely hard in the offseason, adding size and strength along with some experience by playing in the Jersey Shore League this summer. He is a big, athletic player who can hurt teams on the inside and from the outside and if he continues to develop he could turn into a special player. With the loss of the team's top rebounder last season in Leon Brisport, Konopka will be counted to hit the boards and improve on his 3.8 rebounds per game average.
Sophomore Jairus McCollum also impressed in his rookie season. A tremendous leaper, McCollum wowed Stony Brook fans last year with highlight film dunks all season long while his soft touch around the basket allowed him to average 8.3 points per game. McCollum's play often dictated how well SB performed last season. Last year, he scored in double figures 12 times and the Seawolves were 11-1 in those games.
Joakim Eriksson will chip in at the power forward position as well. Eriksson came off the bench to appear in 28 games last season. He is the Seawolves best interior defender and the best outside shooter among SB's power forwards and centers. Last summer he played in the World University Games with the Swedish National Team in Beijing, China. Eriksson has the ability to play center and may see some time there this season.
Center - Sophomore J.B. Bennett is someone the coaching staff is hoping has improved from last season. Bennett possesses tremendous athleticism and has gotten a great deal stronger by working hard in the weight room in the offseason. Watching him in individual workouts, the coaching staff can see a great deal of improvement and he will get every chance to earn a starting spot this fall. "J.B. may be our most intriguing player, he can possibly be one of the biggest surprises of the season," Macarchuk said. With Stony Brook looking for a shot blocker and an inside presence, Bennett may be able to fill that role.
Freshman JonPaul Kobryn may also be able to step right in and fill that role. Kobryn comes out of the heralded St. Anthony's program in Jersey City under head coach Bob Hurley and is accustomed to playing at a high level. Last year, he helped lead his team to the New Jersey state title by averaging 10 points and nine rebounds per game. Kobryn, at 6-9, could turn out to be the big man of the future for the Seawolves.
Key To Success - Macarchuk sees rebounding and outside shooting as the keys to success in 2001-02, both of which played key roles to success last year. Leon Brisport led the team in scoring (16.6 ppg.) and rebounding (8.8 rpg.) and helped SB to shoot .473 from the floor last season. The loss of Josh Little (61 three-pointers) as an outside threat makes it vital for someone to step up and assume that role.
As always, defense remains paramount to basketball success. Last season, the Seawolves were a very solid defensive team, holding opponents to a lower shooting percentage in 18 of 28 outings.
Overview - A solid nucleus returns from a group that won 17 games, a nucleus that boasts six sophomores, three of which started most of the Seawolves games last year. Mix in a talented transfer and a trio of freshmen and the Seawolves look like they have something to build on. The road will literally be tough as 19 of Stony Brook's 28 regular season games will be away from home which should leave the Brook battle tested come March.
With a host of talented youngsters who have made success an expectation, there is much to look forward to as the first season of America East play approaches.
Conference Play - One significant difference from last year will be conference play. The only weakness in Stony Brook's Division I move was its independent status. SB shed that status last January by joining the America East and now approaches the 2001-02 campaign differently as the team will have seasons within a season. Conference play begins in December which gives the Seawolves a chance to measure up to eight other teams for the first time ever at the Division I level.
As a result, the players will have to make an adjustment to the importance of the conference slate and what that will mean as the season rolls along. "The team is so young that it will be a good experience to make the adjustment right away and point towards the conference tournament in March," explained Macarchuk. "The excitement of being in a conference and the ability to win an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament adds an entire new dimension to our basketball program."
A dimension that Stony Brook has been looking forward to for many years - a chance to compete for an NCAA Tournament berth. And when it comes to college basketball, what can be better than the thought of having a chance to go dancing in March?
