NEW ROCHELLE ‒ For the second straight 12 months, the Iona males’s basketball program and coach Tobin Anderson had been compelled to hit the reset button.
Not like final summer time, although, the Gaels are fielding a totally new roster. Final 12 months, that they had ahead Osborn Shema because the lone holdover from the Rick Pitino period, however this 12 months, there are not any returning gamers from its 16-17 season.
Iona gave a public introduction to its 15 new gamers with an open observe on campus on Tuesday night time.
“I believe we have executed a very good job and time will inform, clearly,” Anderson mentioned of the roster rebuild getting into his second 12 months with the Gaels. “We are able to discuss all you need in August, however what occurs within the winter will make the distinction. We needed to get to that time and construct this tradition. I used to be demoralized that night time (when Iona misplaced 77-60 to rival Manhattan). I used to be not demoralized when guys had been leaving.
“In the event you do not need to be right here and do what we’ve got to do to achieve success, we’re higher off going someplace else, and we’ll discover guys who need to be right here. These guys all need to be right here they usually all need to compete. They’re all right here for the appropriate causes and I really feel actually good about that.”
Iona bid farewell to its final remaining participant of the 2023-24 season on March 22, when then-freshman guard Jean Aranguren opted to switch out, leaving the Gaels’ roster fully empty.
Anderson and his employees labored laborious to replenish the ranks since then. The brand new-look squad accomplished its thirty eighth summer time exercise on Tuesday night time.
“It is simply actuality, it is type of the place we’re at proper now, it’s important to handle it, settle for it, you’ll be able to’t complain and it’s important to discover a method to achieve success on this period,” mentioned Anderson, referring to the altering recruiting panorama which additionally impacted different colleges within the MAAC and similar-level conferences. “It is not as simple. You used to plan issues 2-4 years upfront. It’s important to modify. The massive factor is getting guys who come right here to remain and to get them to remain is to have plenty of success.
“We did not attempt to construct an all-star roster. We tried a greater job of constructing a workforce and discovering guys who might assist us win in plenty of other ways. We went again to our roots so far as defensive guys, who might play our tempo, our tempo. We love fitness center rats, guys who’ve a chip on their shoulders.”
Roster rebuild
Iona’s 2024-25 roster incorporates a wide-ranging mix of promising freshmen, to skilled transfers of all ages who’ve performed on the Division I stage, or discovered success within the Division II or junior faculty ranks.
“I would not say this can be a new workforce, actually to me, it appears like I’ve recognized these guys for 2-3 years,” mentioned senior ahead Clarence Rupert, who beforehand performed at Saint Peter’s and Southern Illinois. “All of us hang around with one another every single day. We come right here 20-Half-hour earlier than observe and chuckle with one another within the locker room till about 10 o’clock at night time. … This workforce gels collectively properly, all of us bond collectively and I really feel like we will run it again and trigger some hassle.”
Freshmen:
#1 Jacob Hogarth, 6-9, 210, F
#2 Adam Njie, 6-3, 175, G
#12 Josh Michigan, 6-4, 195, G
#23 Jojo Wallace, 6-3, 175, G
#24 Justin Menard, 6-3, 175, G
#31 Connor Horan, 6-8, 230, F
Sophomores:
#10 Comeh Emuobor, 6-5, 205, G
Juniors:
#0 James ‘Biggie’ Patterson, 6-7, 200, G/F
#7 Luke Jungers, 6-9, 175, F
#8 Christian Winborne, 6-2, 185, G
#25 Kernan Bundy, 6-3, 190, G
#32 Yaphet Moundi, 6-8, 205, Jr.
Seniors:
#3 Dejour Reaves, 6-0, 170, G
#4 Clarence Rupert, 6-8, 240, F
#33 Jalen Barr, 6-4, 185, G/F
Early impressions
Improved protection and rebounding has been a serious level of emphasis by means of the Gaels’ 38 offseason exercises.
Iona gave a glimpse of that defensive depth and fast-paced type in restricted scrimmages on Tuesday. Scoring didn’t come simple, particularly early within the night time.
“It is nonetheless a piece in progress, however since my recreation is protection, I really like the protection we’re enjoying proper now,” mentioned senior Jalen Barr, who was a two-time convention defensive participant of the 12 months at Division II Flagler School. “Offensively, it is nonetheless a piece in progress. We did not actually contact an excessive amount of on that in this summer time periods. We’re nonetheless studying that half, however all the pieces appears good in my eyes. It has been a terrific begin.”
With the basketball workforce located for the summer time on a principally empty campus, creating chemistry has been crucial.
The teaching employees has organized journeys, boat excursions round New York Metropolis, golf outings, softball video games and different actions to interrupt up the grind.
On the courtroom, it has been something however gentle.
“I’ve by no means had a workforce the place all 15 gamers are straight canines,” mentioned senior Dejour Reaves, who transferred from Northern Colorado. “We are available in right here, we struggle, blood all over the place, every single day on the courtroom. After that, it is simply all love.”
There’s nonetheless loads of work forward, however coaches and gamers are optimistic for an improved season.
They really feel a robust basis creating, however have been cautiously optimistic.
Final 12 months, the Gaels went 10-10 in MAAC play. After an up-and-down common season, they had been eradicated within the quarterfinals of the MAAC match and completed the 12 months 16-17.
Nobody’s getting forward of themselves simply but.
“Simply communication, that is what is going on to carry all the pieces collectively,” Reaves mentioned. “We are saying on a regular basis, simply take 1% a day. You do not have to go from 1% to 50%, only one step a time. You do not have to make an enormous leap.”
Observe Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5 and on Instagram at @byeugenerapay.
This text initially appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal Information: Tobin Anderson, Iona males’s basketball optimistic after roster rebuild
