Men's Basketball Tabbed Third in CCC Preseason Poll; Gulls Ready to Rebound in 2013-14

CCC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll Release

BEVERLY, Mass. – The Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) released its annual Preseason Men's Basketball Poll and the Endicott men's basketball team, after posting a 9-16 record one year ago and missing out on postseason play, were selected to finish third in the 2013-14 standings.  The poll is voted upon by the league's head coaches.

The Gulls received two first place votes and claimed a total of 81 points in the poll, appearing behind last year's CCC champion Curry (89, four first place votes), and the runner-up Gordon (90, four first place votes) who was selected as the preseason favorite.  Rounding out the top five were Nichols (64) and Salve Regina (51).

 Last winter is all but a distant memory for the Endicott men's basketball program.  There were a number of good memories from the 2012-13 season – celebrating guard Lance Greene's (Dorchester, Mass.) 1,000^th-career point and CCC Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, watching guard John Henault (Lunenburg, Mass.) lead the nation in free-throw shooting (94.2%), and several other standout individual efforts – but unfortunately the bad outweighed the good for the Blue and Green. 

The good news is that head coach Phil Rowe, who enters his fifth season at Endicott and 24^th overall on the sidelines, his coaching staff, and his players have no choice but to turn the page and look ahead to what hopes to be a return into prominence in the CCC and the region.  Endicott is just one season removed from capturing the 2011-12 CCC Championship and nearly winning their first NCAA Tournament game in program history and with the talent that is returning and the talent that is brand new to this team, the Gulls have the opportunity to rebound this winter. 

The Gulls said goodbye to Greene, a four-year starter and upstanding member of the Endicott community who graduated this past May, and will look to replace the 14.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.0 steals per game the four-time All-CCC honoree put up over the course of his career.  Greene surpassed 1,000 points for his career last season and moved into the top-10 in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, and several other statistical categories. 

Greene, however, was Endicott's lone senior and only substantial loss from last year's team as Rowe will welcome back Henault as well as several other high-impact upperclassmen including the 2011-12 CCC Rookie of the Year Andre Makris (Southbury, Conn.), junior big man Matt Kneece (Shrewsbury, Mass.), and graduate student Lachlan Magee (Melbourne, Australia).  Combined, these four returners accounted for 60% of the scoring and 45% of the rebounding from 2012-13 and will relied upon to step up their game even further to fight their way through an extremely competitive and balanced conference lineup.

Henault took a giant step forward in his sophomore season by leading the team with 16.4 points per game with a 47.0 FG% (151-of-321), a 41.1 3PT% (44-of-107), and a 94.2 FT% (65-of-69).  The 6-2 guard was named to the All-CCC Second Team one season after earning Honorable Mention status in Endicott's championship winning season.  Joining Henault in the backcourt will be Magee, a dangerous shooter who can attack the hoop.  Magee, an All-CCC player two years ago, battled injuries last season but will look to make an impact in his final season for Endicott as he sits just 14 points away from joining the program's 1,000-point club. 

In the frontcourt, Makris and Kneece have proved to be a reliable source of both offense and defense with the ability to run with Rowe's high-paced approach.  Both players average nearly a block per game while flirting with double digit points every time on the court.  The Gulls will also look to second-year player Tell White (New Castle, N.H.), who transferred into Endicott last January and averaged almost six rebounds a game, to help win the battle on the boards as well as provide an offensive spark off the bench.

Along with Endicott's returning core will be a slew of newcomers to the Beverly campus including senior Greg Jacques (Brockton, Mass.) who was a significant contributor off the bench during Bentley's 2011 NCAA Division II Tournament run which ended in the East Regional Finals.  Jacques, a 5-11 guard out of St. Sebastian's, averaged 6.7 points and 4.1 assists in his final season with the Falcons in 2011-12 and will be asked to play a major role in commanding the Endicott offense with the absence of Greene. 

Joining Jacques in the backcourt are freshmen Kamahl Walker (Worcester, Mass.), a Bridgton Academy product with the explosive skills and defensive prowess the Gulls need to counter their opposition in both league and non-conference play, and Max Motroni (West Warwick, R.I.) out of Milton Academy, a NEPSAC Class A Second Team All-League guard.  Another guard on the roster for Coach Rowe is Stephen Basden (Lynn, Mass.) from Governor's Academy, an athletic scoring guard who can attack the rim.

Other forwards on the roster include sophomore junior college transfer Deven Richardson (Newark, N.J.), a powerful 6-5 presence that went to University High School.  Daquan Sampson (Germantown, Md.), a highly sought after 6-6 forward out of Lawrence Academy with a skillset rarely seen at the Division III level, as well as Sam Johnson (Chatham, Mass.) and Justin Bristol (Wakefield, R.I.) from Cape Cod Academy and the Prout School are also expected to provide size and depth to the Endicott frontcourt this season.  Sophomore Taylor Rioux (Ivoryton, Conn.), who appeared in five games last year at Trinity (Conn.), plays with a high motor and will provide toughness and additional depth for the Gulls.   

Endicott tips off their 2013-14 campaign on November 15^th-16^th at the Wheaton Invitational where the Gulls take on Fisher on Friday night before playing the host Lyons or Maine Maritime.  After their home opener on November 19^th, Endicott visits the Rivier Live Free or Die Invitational before starting up their CCC schedule on the road, December 4^th, at Gordon.  Endicott will play host to league opponent Eastern Nazarene on December 7^th before closing out the first semester at the Salem State Holiday Classic Tournament against Berkeley (N.Y.) and the host Vikings.  The months of January and February consist entirely of conference games which will determine who qualifies for the CCC Tournament which runs from February 25^th-March 1^st.  The winner of the CCC Championship will earn an automatic qualifying bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament which begins with First and Second Round action from March 6^th-8^th.  

2013-14 CCC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll