By Aidan Mastandrea
Sports Editor
As the calendar has hit November and basketball season is set to get underway, the College's men's basketball team will be looking to carry the momentum from a year ago. After a solid regular season, the Lions went on the road for all three NCAA tournament games, culminating in their first NJAC title since 2020.
There will be no more flying under the radar for a squad that is full of talent and experience, led by head coach Matthew Goldsmith. Coming off of a championship can be tough for some teams, with a sense of complacency naturally seeping into some players’ minds. Goldsmith has spent the offseason making sure that does not happen.
“Our concern has been the loss of a chip on our shoulder, so we are trying to cultivate that while keeping that confidence or swagger that comes with winning a championship and returning so many guys,” said Goldsmith.
Maintaining confidence should come naturally as the Lions are returning their leaders in almost every major stat category. Juniors Nick Koch and Matthew Solomon both earned All-NJAC honors and should only get better with yet another offseason of preparation under their belt.
Koch led the offense from the point guard spot, averaging 17.7 points to go along with 4.5 assists last season. Solomon anchors the back court, putting up gaudy numbers almost every night a season ago. He ended the season averaging a double double with 11.6 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.
“Having those guys back and having them be the most willing to be really coached up…it spreads throughout the whole roster,” said Goldsmith.
Senior wing Matthew Okorie is also a major part of this Lions squad. After a fairly slow start to his college career, the 6-foot-7-inch engineering science major took a major leap in 2023-24. Starting all 26 games, Okorie averaged 11.6 points and 7 rebounds a game. With his size and length, Okorie is a tough matchup for any of the College’s opponents and should continue to have success night in and out.
While what Goldsmith labeled as the team’s “Big 3” is returning, the College lost two heavy contributors in fifth year players James Beckwith and Jason Larranega. The Lions roster is deep and they will be able to replace the production on the court, but the leadership of those two will be missed.
“Luckily for us, [Beckwith] and [Larranaga] taught us a lot about leadership,” Solomon said. “The coaches have done an amazing job of creating a culture where we all hold each other accountable, whether that’s a senior to a freshman or vice versa.”
There will be a familiar face on the bench for the Lions as the season kicks off. Former star and 2023 graduate Danny Bodine is back in a graduate assistant coach role. It has become a custom for many of Goldsmith’s former players to venture into coaching and begin their journey with the College. Point guard Eric Murdock ‘18 was an assistant on the 2020 championship team, while PJ Ringel ‘21 was on the bench for last season's title.
“They understand what we stand for, what we are about, what matters to us versus what doesn’t,” said Goldsmith. “The experience at the school itself, I think it lends itself to a really easy transition and is always beneficial to the program.”
The College hasn't faced expectations as high as this since the 2021 season that was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The championship is a great accomplishment, but the NJAC is one of the best conferences in the country and will be full of tough matchups for the Lions. Programs like Stockton, Rowan and Montclair State are always competitive and this season will be no different.
“My main goal is to be in a position to make the NCAA tournament no matter what happens in the NJAC,” said Goldsmith.
In order for that to happen the Lions will have to outperform their regular season record from last year, but with more experience under this roster's belt, the goal is certainly attainable.
The NJAC title defense is set to begin as the College opens their season on Friday, Nov. 8 against Centenary University. After two games on the road, the Lions will have their home opener in Packer Hall on Friday, Nov. 15 against Baruch College.
“We make it a big point of emphasis that perfection is impossible, even the highest level teams fail,” said Solomon. “With that being said, there is still that level of hunger to be the most successful group we can be.”
