Photo courtesy Quinnipiac Athletics
By Hannah Cotter
With the loss of Zaid Hearst, Ousmane Drame, Evan Conti, and Justin Harris to graduation, the Quinnipiac men’s basketball team has big shoes to fill for the 2015-16 season. With seven new faces on the court and two new additions to the coaching staff, the Bobcats boast their most inexperienced team in nine years. However, the new faces are expected to make contributions immediately.
The Bobcats have welcomed a plethora of new shooters this year, crucial to the teams success considering they finished shooting 30.7 percent from the three last season. Returners James Ford, Jr., Ayron Hutton, who was an All-MAAC Rookie team selection, and Dimitri Floras will be there to fill the void as well as twin guards Andrew and Aaron Robinson and Daniel Harris.
The Hillsborough Community College transfer said the transition has been an easy one, primarily due to the team’s positive chemistry. “We all really love each other. There are no selfish guys on the team. It’s a lot better than what I had at [Hillsborough].” The 6-foot-3, 190-pound junior guard has high expectations for the Bobcats. “We all want a MAAC championship, and to get to the NCAA tournament. We know we have to work hard for that.”
Though the new shooters will certainly fill the gap left by graduating seniors, one guard in particular is expected to rein the court. Enter 6-foot-1, 195-pound junior Giovanni McLean. Despite being ineligible after an investigation ruling his transcript was fraudulent, McLean will be vital for the Bobcats. Hailing from the Bronx, the combo-guard transferred to Quinnipiac in 2014 from Westchester Community College, where he averaged 16.8 points, 7.4 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game. McLean is a do-it-all player who will likely be the teams leading scorer.
The twin dynamic Andrew and Aaron Robinson have also set the bar high for shooters this season. High school teammates in MD., the brothers also played a prep year together at Putnam Science Academy in CT after graduation. The Robinson’s certainly add athleticism to the team. They will be able to compete sturdily in the MAAC, which is typically a guard-dominated conference.
The team’s inexperience this season is undeniable, however, the freshman rookies certainly have the height and vigor to match the upperclassmen.
Freshman Abdulai Bundu had a stellar senior year at Largo High School in Upper Marlboro, MD. The 6-foot-8, 210-pound forward averaged 28.4 points per game, which earned him high praise among the best players in the Washington D.C. area. Bundu even had 54 points in a single game including 25 rebounds. And still, he wants to improve.
“Personally, though, I got to be more offensively minded,” he said. “Stop being so passive, look to score a little bit more, you know, offense and defense.”
The importance of both offensive and defensive rebounding on the team has not been undermined in practice. Donovan Smith, a transfer from Triton College in Chicago, is set to be a force on the glass for the Bobcats this season.
“Offensive and defensive rebounds are definitely pressed by Coach Moore,” the 6-foot-9, 245 pound power forward said. “There’s not a time in practice where it’s not a factor. It’s a point of emphasis every time. It’s rebound, rebound, rebound.”
Will Simonton, a fifth year senior enters Hamden from the University of Illinois-Chicago, and is surely adding a great deal of depth and experience to the young frontcourt. A member of the basketball team at UIC for four years, Simonton, a 6-foot-10, 235 pound center helped anchor the middle of the Flames defense.
The Bobcats, picked to finish seventh in the MAAC preseason poll, begin their season on November 13th against Sacred Heart in the Connecticut 6 Classic.
