The 2023-24 Notre Dame College Men's basketball season gets underway over the weekend. The Notre Dame College Falcons open the season in the Hilton Garden Inn Tipoff Classic on the campus of Indiana (PA.) NDC takes on the Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cats tomorrow (Friday) at 5:30 PM before taking on the host IUP Crimson Hawks on Saturday in a 7:30 PM tipoff. Both games will be played at the Kovalchik Convention & Athletic Complex.
"Big weekend ahead and great way to show us where we are as a team," NDC junior guard Gbolahan Adio mentioned. "They have to play us just like we have to play them,"he added.
"We are excited to get started," NDC head coach Mark Richmond stated. "Playing two NCAA tournament teams from last season and two really challenging first opponents. We will have to have our best effort starting with game one tomorrow night. We had a good preseason and we are excited for the real thing."
NDC is coming off a 17-13 season a year ago. Andre Harris is the teams top returner scorer and rebounder at 10.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game respectively. Some other contributors return from last season including Adio (5.0 points per game to go along with 14 steals) and Kaleb Torrence who scored 3.2 points per contest last season. Jamarr Talbert, Kam Taylor, Javontae Jones, Isaiah Sanders, Darrius Bush, and Yan Kankela are also returners who made contributions to last seasons team that won an MEC tournament game for the first time since the 2019 season. NDC was picked seventh in the MEC preseason poll.
Richmond gave some thoughts:
"Our strengths are in numbers. We have good depth and lots of guys that can play multiple positions. We are excited about being able to win in multiple ways. We can play bigger, we can play faster, we can get up and down some, all of this will dictate who we will become this season."
"Going into the weekend our coaches stressed the importance of rebounding collectively on both ends of the floor, limiting turnovers, and letting our defense make plays for us on offense especially when it comes to being disciplined and not gambling on defense," NDC junior guard Joshua Dames said.
Pitt- Johnstown is coming off a 20-11 season and a trip to the NCAA regionals where they lost to West Liberty. The Mountain Cats played Pitt in an exhibition this season and fell 96-60. Andrew Schull averaged 11.3 points and 3.1 assists per game last season. Other returners from a season ago include Ryan Smith, John Paul Kromka, and Jared Jakubic. Kromka highlighted that group averaging 17.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per night.
Richmond talked the tempo and style of play difference:
UPJ is a team that can do multiple things. The PSAC is more of a half court league. A majority of the time down on offense the team is going to run a set play. It's going to be tough challenge for sure. The coach has been there for a long time (Bob Rukavina has been there since 1989.)
The Mountain Cats were picked fifth in the PSAC West Division in the preseason.
IUP comes in as the #4 team in the country. The Crimson Hawks were 32-2 last season and were picked tied for first in the PSAC West.
Richmond talked IUP:
"IUP is obviously a top five team in the country. One of the top programs in all of Division 2 traditionally."
Ethan Porterfield returns. He has won the PSAC tournament MVP the last two seasons, he is 17th in program history in career points (1,337,) 11th in rebounding (628) and third in the blocks (137.) Guards Dallis Dillard, Jaylen Stewart and KJ Rhodes all return with valuable experience last season in the IUP backcourt. Dillard ranked fourth in the conference in steals (55.) The trio of Damir Brooks, Dolan Waldo, and Callum McNamara also return.
Richmond gave his final thoughts ahead of the weekend:
"These are going to be some tough battles going into the weekend. I expect our guys to compete really hard. We will have to move both teams offensively with all the length they have. We are going to want to get downhill at the rim and get to two feet, be strong, and finish through contact. Both teams will challenge and block shots around the rim."
Dames gave the final thoughts:
"Overall once we play unselfish, make plays for each other, defend at a high level we will be in good shape in both games. The keys to us winning this weekend is limiting turnovers, defending, and playing unselfish with the ball not sticking. "
Comments