San José, Calif. - With the new season beginning tonight at Hofstra, the San Jose State men's basketball team has high hopes as they enter year three under head coach Jean Prioleau.
The Spartans have made big strides in the offseason and are ready to tackle the challenge. With eight letterwinners returning and six newcomers thrown into the mix, Prioleau has a healthy variety of talent and is excited about the flexibility his roster provides.
"I think we are going to move the ball this year," Prioleau said. "We have a lot of versatility. We can play big. We can play three out, two in. We can play four out, one in. It's going to be a different look and we're excited. We're doing some good things both offensively and defensively right now."
Unlike last season in which the Spartans had the leadership of just one senior, Prioleau's new-look squad is led by a trio of seniors in Brae Ivey, Craig LeCesne and Isaiah Nichols. Ivey and LeCesne joined the Spartans last season out of junior college and made immediate impacts. Ivey is the leading returning scorer after posting 9.2 points per game while LeCesne is top returning rebounder, pulling down 4.4 boards per game.
Also returning from last year are sophomores Christian Anigwe, Zach Chappell, Seneca Knight, Kaison Hammonds and Trey Smith, who all had extended playing time in their freshman seasons. Anigwe, Chappell and Knight each played in at least 29 contests and are expected to have even bigger roles in 2019-20.
Based on what he's seen at practice, Prioleau has three returners in mind as ones to watch this season.
"Craig LeCesne, Seneca Knight and Christian Anigwe are the top three returning guys," Prioleau said. "Those three are at the top of the efficiency board for us and they are playing really well. Hopefully that will translate into the real game."
While veteran leadership is always a good to have, fresh talent is welcome, too. Fortunately for the Spartans, they have brought in an impressive class of newcomers. One in particular that has caught Prioleau's eye is the lone freshman signee in the class.
"The one that is trending up rapidly is Omari Moore," Prioleau said. "He's a freshman that's playing really well right now. I think the sky is the limit for him."
Moore, who joined the Spartans from Pasadena High School, has already shown Spartan fans a little taste of what he can do after putting on a show at the team's Spartan Basketball Tip-Off Event on October 22. The 6-foot-6 guard threw down multiple highlight reel dunks during the team's scrimmage, wowing both those in attendance and his teammates alike.
Also expected to have a big impact from the newcomer crop are juniors Richard Washington and Samuel Japhet-Mathias – both of which joined the Spartans after beginning their careers at Wake Forest.
Washington spent two years playing for the Demon Deacons before transferring to Tallahassee Community College last season. He averaged 16.6 points in 29 games last season as a sophomore and was a first team All-Panhandle Conference selection.
Japhet-Mathias, an imposing 6-foot-11 center, isn't exactly a newcomer, but has yet to play his first game in a Spartan uniform. After making 17 appearances as a freshman at Wake Forest, the big man transferred to San Jose State last season, but sat out with a redshirt year due to transfer rules. Fans that attended Spartan men's basketball games last season most likely noticed the big and energetic man wearing street clothes on the end of the bench as he cheered for his teammates. This year they will have a chance to see him in action on the court as well.
The six newcomers won't be the only new things featured this year in Spartan basketball. The home venue has gotten a couple upgrades itself beginning with its name. Long known as the Event Center, the multi-purpose arena is now called the Provident Credit Union Event Center. Inside the building is another pleasant surprise – the court underwent a major design change with the new Spartan Head logo now front and center at midcourt. Both players and coaches are excited about the change.
"I love the court. It looks nice and I think the fans will like it," Prioleau said. It's not that the old court wasn't nice, I liked that one too, but this has a different look and has a lot less going on so you can really focus in on that Spartan Head. Our guys are excited about it, too."
The other less noticeable design change on the court is one that was mandatory for all NCAA courts beginning this season – the three-point line has moved back from its previous position of 20 feet, nine inches, to 22 feet, 1 ¾ inches. While subtle to the untrained eye, the new line posses a potential challenge to teams nationwide as they learn to cope with the new distance. However, Prioleau feels that his team is going to adjust just fine and that it won't pose much of a problem for his Spartans.
"No, the three-point line isn't really going to be a challenge," Prioleau said. "We are shooting it really well as a team right now. I think all teams around the country have already been shooting from further back than the line is, so I don't think it will change much."