Tipoff to the season is just around the corner and Suffolk University’s men’s basketball team is getting ready to take the court.
The Rams are coming off a season where they finished 16-10 and achieved their sixth consecutive winning season. The Rams are 38-22 overall since joining the Commonwealth Coast Conference prior to the 2020-21 season.
Suffolk performed well against CCC opponents, finishing 11-7 in conference play last year. They also set the defensive standard, as they allowed the fourth-lowest shooting percentage and second-fewest points per game.
This year the team will look to adapt as it features a roster with two transfers and five freshmen.
Head coach Jeff Juron said the addition of these players has been good, but the team is still waiting to find their identity.
“I think we’re still figuring out exactly what we have. When you bring seven new players into a program, it takes time to figure out strengths and weaknesses. Then you have to figure out how to play to those strengths and away from those weaknesses,” said Juron.
With a new look roster, Juron expects the returning Rams on this year’s team to take on a larger role on and off the court. He highlighted the returning group as a strength of the team.
“Keenan Robertson was first team All-CCC a year ago. Cole LeVangie was a starter for us and he played a lot of minutes. Jake Gomez also had a significant role on the team. Those three guys have the most experience in-game in the program and I think their leadership has been good,” said Juron.
Robertson had a breakout season where he finished fourth in scoring per game and seventh in shots made. LeVangie is coming off a strong season where he averaged 11.0 ppg and 5.9 rebounds a game. Gomez also turned in solid effort as he shot an extremely efficient 57.1% from the floor.
With a lot of new players on the team, Juron has preached fundamentals and clean basketball through the preseason.
“We have new faces with different talents so we’re just trying to figure that out. But the basis of defending, rebounding and taking care of the basketball is the same every year. That’s the majority of what’s being emphasized in the preseason,” said Juron.
He also said that this is a process and may have its challenges, but the team has done a nice job developing that essential chemistry.
Sticking to these fundamentals is important for the Rams as the CCC features many talented teams.
“There are a lot of different styles in our league so there is not really one formula you can point to. It’s about adapting night-to-night to the strengths and weaknesses of different opponents in the league,” said Juron.
He said he’s confident his group can use the success and failures they’ve had as motivation to perform in these important games.
As far as expectations for the season go, Juron is more focused on his team’s attitude rather than records or accolades.
“Show up every single day ready to work, ready to learn, ready to improve, ready to be great teammates. If we do that, we’ll be fine,” said Juron.
The Rams will start their season at Eastern Nazarene College Nov. 2, then head to Salem State University to face the Vikings Nov. 4.
