HOOPLA 2022 - The Statesman

Stony Brook men’s basketball seeking a smoother ride with new roster in CAA

By Kenny Spurrell

Following a disappointing season, the Stony Brook men’s basketball team now finds itself in uncharted territory. With a new conference, new players and low expec tations, the Seawolves will look to prove the doubters wrong in their 2022-23 campaign.

Expectations were high for Stony Brook’s 2021-22 team, which boasted one of the best transfer classes in program history. An America East conference title looked to be in the cards. Though there were questions about their size and defensive ability, the roster was stacked with talented scorers to help cover up any of its deficiencies. Un fortunately, the team did not deliver on its championship aspirations — nor did it even stick together.

Last February, Stony Brook announced it would be joining the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). In response, the America

East disqualified the team from postseason contention. Players quit over frustrations with the ruling. Other players quit over their minutes and touches. The Seawolves wound up finishing third in the America East with a record of 18-13 overall and 10-8 in conference play.

“We had a lot of guys who were scorers,” head coach Geno Ford said in an interview with The Statesman. “Did the guys get along off the floor? Yes. Did we always play together as well as you want to on the floor? I mean, probably not.”

Ford has a lot on his plate in his fourth season leading the team. The team is project ed to finish ninth in the CAA in the annual coaches’ preseason poll. Regardless of the low expectations, Ford is optimistic about the shot for his team to play in the NCAA Tournament in March.

“I don’t feel more pressure,” Ford said. “We’re all very motivated to have a good year. I want to help them have the best chance they can to be successful and to win.”

Another challenge facing the team is its lack of continuity. Nine players from last year’s roster have either transferred or graduated, and most of them were impact pieces. Guards Jahlil Jenkins and Juan Felix Rodriguez are both gone. Guard Anthony Roberts was the conference’s second-leading scorer last year, but he declared for the NBA draft and did not return.

Guard Tykei Greene led the conference in rebounds per game, but he transferred to Kansas State. Forwards Omar Habwe and Jaden Sayles graduated. Of course, forward Elijah Olaniyi also defected last year, but he would not have been eligible to return anyway.

The roster turnover leaves the Seawolves with just four remaining players from the 2021 squad. Guard Tyler Stephenson-Moore and forward Frankie Policelli are the two returning rotational players from the prior year, and they will step into bigger roles this upcoming season.

“It poses a huge challenge because those guys now — Frankie and Tyler — we not only need them to score, we need them to lead,” Ford said. “Both of them, if you know them, are two of the most high quality guys you could ever be around. Both of them at their core are quiet and are a little bit of ‘lead by example’ guys. I couldn’t honestly be any prouder of Tyler and Frankie.”

The two were voted co-captains by their teammates for the upcoming season. Policelli has taken his leadership role to heart.

Forward Frankie Policelli (foreground) and guards Tyler Stephenson-Moore (background), Toby Onyekonwu (left) and Andrew Heiden (right) in a shootaround on Nov. 4. CAMRON WANG/THE STATESMAN

Nairimar Vargas-Reyes living her dream in final year with Stony Brook

By Melanie Karniewich

No matter what stage she is playing on, forward Nairimar Vargas-Reyes is living her dream.

The six-foot graduate student is now in her fifth and final year of college basketball, and is poised to play a much bigger role for the 2022 Stony Brook women’s basketball team. However, playing for the Seawolves this season will not be the biggest platform that she has stepped onto.

Vargas-Reyes was born in Camuy, Puerto Rico. When she was two years old, her mother decided to move with her to the United States and settle in New Jersey. While living there, a young Vargas-Reyes adapted well to her new environment. She learned how to speak English fluently, but that came at a cost: she regressed in her first language.

Vargas-Reyes’ family does not speak English, and learning a new language affected her ability to communicate with them in Spanish. To help solve the matter, her mother moved her back to Puerto Rico when she was 11 years old.

“I was forgetting to speak Spanish,” Vargas-Reyes said in an interview with The Statesman. “My mom was like,

‘We’ve got to go back, because you need to be able to communicate with your family.’ I needed to just keep the Spanish going.”

Upon returning to her home coun try, Vargas-Reyes got into sports. She comes from an athletic family, and she credits her father for getting her into basketball.

“He’s been hooping since he was a child, and he motivated me to start play ing,” Vargas-Reyes said. “Mostly all of my family members have been involved in sports, but mostly basketball, so that’s what took me into playing basketball.”

Vargas-Reyes also gave volleyball a try due to her mother’s time as a vol leyball player. However, basketball had her heart. When she fell in love with basketball at 11 years old, she decided that she wanted to play at the highest level possible: the WNBA.

Vargas-Reyes stayed in Puerto Rico for the rest of her childhood and teen age years, maintaining her culture while making a name for herself on the bas ketball court. She went to high school at Colegio Adianez de Guaynabo, a private school in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.

She led her varsity

to back-to-back tournament champion ship titles in her final two years there, which included an undefeated 35-0 senior season. She was selected the Most Valuable Player of both champion ship victories.

“They made me better,” Vargas-Rey es said. “When I came into the private school, my defense wasn’t strong enough and they made me get better at defense and shooting skills and everything.”

In 2017, Vargas-Reyes received the opportunity to represent Puerto Rico in the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup, where she played alongside future Stony Brook teammate India Pagan. The next year, Vargas-Reyes played again in the FIBA U18 World Champi onships in Mexico City, where Puerto Rico finished in fifth place.

“It was unbelievable,” Vargas-Reyes said. “I never thought that I was going to make the national team. I still had to work on my skills. But when I was called out ‘You made the team, you’re going to have this experience,’ I was like

Crowded backcourt a potential strength for SBU’s women’s basketball

By Matt Howlin

Stony Brook women’s basketball head coach Ashley Langford knows a thing or two about managing guards: she was one as a college player. Now, she finds herself with a star-studded group of guards, presenting a revamped look to the Stony Brook offense.

Langford’s embarrassment of riches at the guard position will look to compensate for the missing stars on the frontcourt. The depth at the position will give Langford the opportu nity to run several types of athletic lineups on the court.

“We’re just going to play a little bit more positionless this year,” Langford said. “There will be a different look for everybody.”

The backcourt will be headlined by guard Annie Warren, who is a key player in the Seawolves’ offense. She averaged a career-high 12.0 points per game last year while shooting a respectable 34.4% from behind the threepoint arc. She led the team in three-pointers made last season while also playing the most minutes on the team.

Warren’s impressive play on offense land ed her a spot on the All-America East First Team. Expectations remain high for Warren now in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), as she was named to the Preseason All-CAA Second Team.

Tyler Stephenson-Moore’s resilient resumè speaks for itself

By Alex Streinger

Already having established a legacy in basketball on Long Island, guard Tyler Ste phenson-Moore is continuing a journey that has been far from easy.

In his relatively short basketball career, Stephenson-Moore has experienced several highs and lows. He has won every battle he has fought thus far, overcoming injuries, oncourt struggles and playing-time limits in the process. This year will certainly test Stephen son-Moore’s resilience as Stony Brook looks to be a surprise team in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).

Stephenson-Moore was born in Jamaica, N.Y. He comes from an athletic group of siblings, which includes younger twin sisters that play volleyball and a younger brother who plays football and basketball. Stephen son-Moore juggled many sports throughout his upbringing, including soccer, tennis and cycling. It took him longer to find an interest in basketball.

“I got into it by venturing out,” Stephen son-Moore said in an interview with The Statesman. “One time I went to a camp and tried basketball and ever since then, I’ve just been sticking with it.”

Stephenson-Moore lived with his mother for 14 years before moving with his father to Port Washington, N.Y. He completed his first three years of high school while living there, and this move marked the beginning of his competitive basketball journey.

Stephenson-Moore did not play organized basketball until he made the junior varsity team in his fresh man year of high school. That was when he fully committed himself to the sport.

“From the reactions of some high school coaches, they all saw a lot of potential,” Stephen son-Moore said. “When I started to realize that, I worked even harder and never dropped the ball.”

The first setback of Stephen son-Moore’s basketball career spelled an end to his junior season of high school. He had been playing through a pain in his left knee, thinking that he was just going through ordinary growing pains. However, he soon found out that he had developed osteochon dritis dissecans, requiring him to undergo season-ending surgery. It was a yearlong recovery for the high schooler.

“Once I got my surgery and woke up from anesthesia, I was crying,” Stephenson-Moore said. “I thought this was it.”

Soon after though, Stephenson-Moore mentally prepared to return to the sport he had devoted himself to.

“I just thought ‘I’m going to be back,’” Stephenson-Moore said. “It was the main goal from right then and there to play basket ball again.”

Not only did Stephenson-Moore play basketball again, he shined in his return to the court. In his senior season, Stephen son-Moore attended Long Island Lutheran Middle & High School (LuHi), which is well-known for its basketball program. The program boasts several notable alumni, including former NBA players Reggie Carter, Bill Chamberlain and Bill Wennington.

“Some of my AAU coaches were saying if you want to play Division I, you have to go to LuHi,” Stephenson-Moore said. “I had a great year.”

Forward Nairimar Vargas-Reyes during an exhibition match against Adelphi on Nov. 3. BRITTNEY DIETZ/ THE STATESMAN

basketball team

Guard Tyler Stephenson-Moore during practice on Nov. 4. CAMRON WANG/THE STATESMAN

For Stephenson-Moore in particular, his performance ensured a place in Division I basketball the following year. He averaged 14 points per game that season while making 53 three-pointers. He was named to Newsday’s 2019 All-Long Island First Team and the 2019 All-Long Island team.

“Coming off an injury, a lot of people were worried I wasn’t going to come back better than before,” Stephenson-Moore said. “I proved all the doubters wrong.”

In February 2019, Stephenson-Moore com mitted to playing basketball at Stony Brook. He chose to be a Seawolf due to the school’s proximity to home and his first impression of the team.

“It’s close to home,” Stephenson-Moore said. “I also connected with the guys so well, they would text me and there was just a great energy.”

Stephenson-Moore’s commitment brought forth great emotions.

“It was a shellshock,” Stephenson-Moore said. “This is something that I worked hard for and told myself I would do.”

His freshman year was filled with ups and downs, as before playing an official game, he suffered a sprained ankle which kept him out of the team’s first four contests.

Through his first 18 games, Stephen son-Moore scored just 35 points while playing just over eight minutes per game. He finally hit the first hot streak of his college career in his second start against UMass Lowell. There, he reached double figures for the first time, scoring 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting.

“I think it was just getting used to it and feeling confident,” Stephenson-Moore said. “Staying true to the work I put in after hours. I thought that was a glimpse of what I could do.”

Stony Brook finished the 2019-20 regular season with a record of 19-12 and snagged the No. 2 seed in the American East tourna

ment. They defeated seventh-seeded Albany in the quarterfinals before falling in the semifinals to third-seeded Hartford by a score of 64-58.

That game marked the lowest moment of Stephenson-Moore’s career to that point. He played 21 minutes but did not score, shooting 0-for-6 from the field and 0-for-4 from deep.

“I was very upset,” Stephenson-Moore said.

“That’s a game I will never forget. I felt like I let the team down.” Soon after, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Although this had no impact on the Sea wolves’ scheduling the following season, it did impact Stephenson-Moore.

“I didn’t prepare as much as I should have,” Stephenson-Moore said. “There wasn’t any access to a gym. It was a hard year.”

As a result, Stephenson-Moore’s sopho more year saw a decrease in his playing time and stats. Stony Brook struggled as a team that season, going 9-14 overall and losing in the opening round of the tournament.

Stephenson-Moore played in 21 games that year, only starting three times. He averaged 2.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.4 assists on 26.2% shooting from the field. Typically a good jump-shooter, he only shot 19.5% from the three-point line.

“Sophomore slump,” Stephenson-Moore said. “I didn’t have a lot of confidence in myself. That was probably the lowest of the low for me.”

Just as he had done before in his bas ketball career though, Stephenson-Moore bounced back. Preparation was key.

“I told myself I cannot have a year like I

had last year,” Stephenson-Moore said. “I was in the gym making sure I was prepared.”

The work in the offseason paid off for Ste phenson-Moore, as he had his best year yet as a Seawolf. He became a regular in the starting lineup, starting 22 of the 28 games he played. He averaged 25.5 minutes per game, a sizable increase from his first two seasons.

Stephenson-Moore finished the 2021-22 season with averages of 7.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.9 assists. He put up a .479/.448/.852 shooting line. Stephen son-Moore credits the improvement to his work ethic.

“Just staying in the gym,” Stephen son-Moore said. “When you get so many reps up, all of these shots feel like layups. Either contested or not I’ve practiced those shots every day for a couple of hours. It just shows that even though you can have a down year, if you work and don’t dwell on it you will always improve.”

Stephenson-Moore’s career year was taint ed with the announcement that Stony Brook would be banned from the America East tour nament following their agreement to join the CAA. That same day, the Seawolves lost their game against Binghamton. After the news broke, the team finished the season going 5-6 after starting 13-7.

“It hit a lot of us,” Stephenson-Moore said. “The team was built to win; we had a lot of graduate students in their last year. It took a lot of us from the whole year.”

Stony Brook’s roster finds itself rebuilding this season. It has undergone several changes, highlighted by the loss of nine players. This essentially guarantees Stephenson-Moore a

huge role. Getting the chance to play a lot of minutes in the CAA is a challenge he looks forward to.

“I’m excited,” Stephenson-Moore said. “I feel like this would be a chance for me to showcase to everyone what I can do in a tougher conference. I’m just as athletic, if not more than some of the guys in the conference.”

Defensively, Stephenson-Moore made a positive impact on the court for Stony Brook last season, highlighted by his game-saving block against Saint Peter’s. Trying to build off of that, he has seen an improvement from his end.

“I’ve gotten stronger,” Stephenson-Moore said. “I feel like I can hold off a lot of the bigger guys, I feel quicker and more athletic.”

Stephenson-Moore also makes his impact in the locker room. Head coach Geno Ford announced in his CAA media day press conference that he and forward Frankie Policelli were voted as co-captains for the 2022-23 season.

“I was a captain senior year in high school,” Stephenson-Moore said. “To be named captain senior year of college shows maturity and a lot of growth within myself.”

Ford believes that Stephenson-Moore is worthy of his title as team co-captain.

“Tyler’s a winner, man,” Ford said. “I would follow that guy into any alley he wanted to go. We may get beat up, but it ain’t going to be because I have to worry if he’s over there trying his part.”

Stephenson-Moore has expressed interest in coming back for his last year of eligibility, something that he sees benefiting himself athletically and academically. He hopes to con tinue his playing career after college.

“I’m going to let my performance show if I’m able to play after,” Stephenson-Moore said. “I’m a good shooter, so I feel like I can be utilized.”

Annie Warren ready to add to her Seawolves legacy

By Mike Anderson

Annie Warren does not say much. She is not a diva. She is not a huge trash-talker.

To put it simply, the star guard is a well-rounded player with the biggest season of her career just about to tip off. Warren’s suc cess in her fifth and final year will be integral to the Stony Brook women’s basketball team as it looks to return to the NCAA tournament this March.

Warren has given a lot to the Seawolves, including three all-conference selections and some of the most prolific shooting numbers in the program’s history. Now playing in the Co lonial Athletic Association (CAA), expectations remain high for Warren and company. She was selected to the All-CAA Preseason Second Team, while Stony Brook was projected to fin ish in third place. After being arguably their best player last year, Warren is the biggest name to watch out for on this year’s squad.

“Annie Buckets is a knockdown shooter, and her game has improved as well,” head coach Ashley Langford said in an interview with The Statesman

A basketball lifer through and through, Warren’s time dominating the hardwood goes back to her days as an elementary schooler in Atlanta.

“Growing up in Atlanta, I think that’s a basketball world,” Warren said. “I’ve been playing basketball since fifth grade. I would play pickup at the parks. I was always at a gym every night.”

Warren dedicated herself to the game, go ing the extra mile to set herself above the rest.

“It was always basketball first,” Warren said. “In high school, we would have practice after school and then after practice, I would go to another gym just to shoot around. I would be out all night.”

Basketball runs in the Warren bloodline, as both her mother and uncle have a history in this game. Her uncle played Division I basketball at Tennessee Tech and went on to play professionally overseas. Her mother, Stacy Dancy, was a hooper in high school. Dancy was also a swimmer, runner and volleyball player.

Dancy served as a role model, guiding Warren to become the person and athlete she is today.

“My mom really helped me with all of this,” Warren said. “Putting me in the right places to be able to be here.”

Dancy signed Warren up for her first Ama teur Athletic Union (AAU) team when she was 13, joining an organization called the Georgia Pearls. She later joined Team Elite in high school before returning to the Pearls in twelfth grade. Warren excelled in AAU but preferred her time playing for her school team.

Warren attended Westlake High School in Atlanta and played all four years on the varsity girl’s basketball team. She had an illustrious career there, scoring over 1,000 points and earning national attention.

In her senior year, Warren led the team to its first state championship in school history. In the title game, Warren engineered a second-half comeback to earn the champi onship victory. That team went 30-2 overall and earned an invitation to the GEICO High

School Basketball Nationals. She was even featured in an ESPN article that March.

“It was really exciting,” Warren said. “For me, I was on a mission. It was my last year, I wanted to go out with a bang.”

Winning at that high of a level at that age helped develop Warren’s mental aspect as a player. She said that it helped light a fire inside that keeps her desire to win burning strong.

“I think it was very important because when you come to college, you know what needs to be done to be able to win,” Warren said. “Just being able to experience that makes you want it more.”

Warren said she did not communicate well with the college coaches who were recruiting her. She had several Division I offers come her way, only to see most of them rescinded.

When it finally came time to make a deci sion, Warren’s remaining options were Loyola University New Orleans — an NAIA school — and Stony Brook. She chose to become a

“Tyler’s a winner, man. I would follow that guy into any alley he wanted to go.”

-Geno Ford, head coach

Kaine Roberts utilizing professional experience heading into year two

By Jonah Kahn

After being a highly-touted recruit of the Stony Brook men’s basketball team, guard Kaine Roberts is looking to make his mark in his upcoming sophomore season.

The skilled guard is a 20-year-old play maker with speed, quickness and impressive handles. After watching and learning for much of his freshman season, Roberts is primed to play a bigger role for the Seawolves this year. However, he has taken a long road to get to where he is today.

Roberts’ upbringing found him constantly on the move, always having to adapt to his surroundings and find comfort. He was born in Tokyo, Japan, but his time there was short-lived because his father served in the U.S. Navy.

Roberts and his family moved to Hawaii when he was an infant, living there through out his middle school years. They moved back to Japan at the start of Roberts’ high school career and lived there for the next three years.

After making it through his junior year in Japan, Roberts returned to the U.S. in 2019. He enrolled in Santa Margarita High School in California, where he earned his high school diploma in the spring of 2020.

Transitioning between countries and ad justing to the culture is different for everyone, but Roberts had no problem with it. While living in Japan, he lived on a military base and was exposed to American culture. Roberts’ family spoke both Japanese and Eng lish in his household, making the transition between cultures easier for him.

“I always traveled, so it wasn’t really a ‘transitioning’ thing,” Roberts said in an interview with The Statesman. “It was always normal to me. Being a military child, we were always moving around and meeting new people, so it wasn’t like any big difference for me.”

On the basketball court, Roberts says that American and Japanese styles of play are different, but that transition has not come as easy.

“Everyone in America is more athletic,” Roberts said. “Stronger and athletically gifted. In Japan it’s more IQ and stuff like that. I’m not going to always have the greatest transition, but you just got to work through it, grind through it, and eventually I’ll find my way.”

Roberts does not come from a family of athletes. His parents played sports recreationally, but never at a higher level. Roberts himself did not start playing basketball until the seventh grade while still living in Hawaii. He also ran track as a sprinter and played football.

Roberts feels that his time as a football player helped him become a better basketball player, both physically and mentally. Playing wide receiver at a high level helped him become a better athlete, and his coaching staff helped give him a strong mentality to bring to the hardwood.

“There’s a big correlation,” Roberts said. “Obviously, the physical side of it made me a better player. On the basketball court, you’re

cutting all the time and doing sharp moves, especially at my position. As a wide receiver, you have to make sure every cut you do is cor rect and tight. And my football coaches gave me a good mentality that I could take, even off the field.”

Between his high schools in Tokyo and California, Roberts played four years of varsity boy’s basketball. He had a very successful high school career, earning All-League and All-State honors in his junior year. That same year, Roberts was named to the East Asia Elite (EAE) Top Ten Players of the Year list.

“It was great; high school was fun,” Rob erts said. “Obviously, to be at this level, you were a big part of your high school team. It was a good experience for me.”

During his high school career, Rob erts learned the value of becoming a complete player, as scoring is only one aspect of the sport.

“Everything is not about scoring,” Roberts said. “Espe cially as you progress in the level of basketball, everything is not about scoring. There’s things like defense and assists and other things you’ve got to worry about.”

During his senior year of high school, Roberts gained an idol to look up to when Rui Hachimura made his NBA debut with the Washington Wizards. Hachimura has a very similar background to Roberts, which gave him a role model to try and emulate.

“He’s a half kid like me: half-black, half-Japanese,” Roberts said. “He put on for my country, so I’m kind of following his footsteps right now, trying to make a name for myself. Coming out of Japan, it is a dream for a lot of kids to go Division I. It’s not some

thing that happens often.”

Though he got a late start to his basketball career, he figured out very early that he want ed to play basketball at the next level.

“It actually started in eighth grade,” Roberts said. “Once I started to see that I was better than my peers … that I could do other things that most people couldn’t do at my age. It was just something that I stuck with.”

Going into his senior year of high school, Roberts participated in the Basketball With out Borders Asia camp, an event hosted by the NBA. He was only one of four total Japanese kids selected for that camp. While there, he made connections on several levels, including the NBA.

“It was a great experience actually,” Roberts said. “I met a lot of cool guys that I still know to this day. There are players on this team that know people that I met at that camp. I met a lot of NBA guys and got coached by some NBA coaches.”

Roberts’ college recruiting was hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic, as he was a high school senior dur ing that time frame. He had two Division I offers out of high school, but took a year to play professionally instead. In August of 2020, he went back home again and signed with Earthfriends Tokyo Z, a Jap anese B League professional team. He played one season with them and gained quality experience with the team.

“It was a dream honestly,” Roberts said. “I want to also say that I gained an extra step than others in college.”

At just 18, Roberts was the youngest player in the Japanese B League. He was five years younger than the next-closest teammate. Play ing with so many experienced professionals,

Roberts was taught things that other NCAA players are not privy to.

“They were all like 28, 30, 25 — it’s a pro league,” Roberts said. “They taught me a lot of IQ plays and things to do that I brought with me.”

Roberts was not worried about the age gap. He just played his brand of basketball and did what he knows best.

“At that age, nobody could really tell me anything,” Roberts said. “I was going to do what I was going to do. I didn’t really let me being a pro affect my game, or my age affect my game. I just treated everyone as if they were my same age. I didn’t think much of it.”

Despite his constant travels, Roberts had never been to the East Coast before arriving at Stony Brook. He liked the academic program at the university, giving him an additional reason to join the school.

Roberts did not play much in his first season with the Seawolves, as he sat be hind guards Jahlil Jenkins and Juan Felix Rodriguez. However, after Jenkins opted for season-ending surgery and Rodriguez departed midseason after oral surgery, Roberts was thrown into the rotation.

Roberts struggled in his 15 games played. He shot only 18.2% from the field and 15.4% from three-point range. He played an average of 8.2 minutes per game.

Roberts spent his offseason working on his skill set with trainers in Tokyo. Not only is he trying to improve his handles and jump shot, but he is also looking to be more efficient and physical this season.

“I would like to see myself cut down on turnovers and be more confident with passes — be a true point guard,” Roberts said. “I want to help my team on the defensive side as well. I want to be one of the best guard-de fenders on our team.”

With guards Sabry Philip and Dean Noll out for the season with injuries, Roberts will likely see more minutes in the backcourt for Stony Brook. As of now, he is vying to fill the backup point guard role, as Aaron Clarke will likely be the starter once he returns to full health. However, with Clarke’s status up in the air for the team’s opening night game, Roberts may find his way into the starting lineup.

As for the future, Roberts’ goal is to get back into the professional ranks.

“Obviously the big goal is the NBA,” Roberts said. “I don’t really mind going back to my home country and showing what I can do back over there again.”

Off the field, Roberts has built strong bonds with his teammates. He has become good friends with freshman guard Jared Frey, saying that he is like a little brother to him.

“That’s my guy,” Roberts said.

As opening tipoff of the 2022 season approaches, Roberts will look to use his past experiences and his talent to his advantage. Already a quick point guard with nice han dles, Roberts is a Seawolf to keep an eye out for this year.

Guard Kaine Roberts going for a layup during practice on Nov. 4. CAMRON WANG/THE STATESMAN

Stony Brook women’s basketball primed to make strong first impression in CAA

By Matt Howlin

A late season collapse derailed the Stony Brook women’s basketball team’s postseason hopes last year. In the 2022-23 season, the Seawolves hope to learn from last year’s mis takes by playing a new brand of basketball that allows their star players to flourish on both sides of the ball.

Last season was business as usual for the Seawolves, as they finished with an impressive 23-6 overall record and a 14-4 conference record.

However, the year finished in uncharac teristic fashion. Having already been banned from the America East postseason tourna ment, the team lost its final two regular season games and allowed Maine to pass them in the standings for the regular season title.

This ultimately put them out of contention for the NCAA Tournament. The season came to an official end in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) when the Seawolves fell to the Virginia Commonwealth Rams in the first round, 56-48.

“I think it’s really hard for a group of 18-to-23-year-olds to continuously go out and work as hard as they can knowing that something has been taken away from them,” head coach Ashley Langford said in an interview with The Statesman

In year two of the Langford era, the Seawolves find themselves in a new conference: the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). Expectations remain high, as Stony Brook ranked third in the CAA preseason poll of rival head coaches. Langford is already familiar with the conference, having previously served as an assistant coach at James Madison University, a former member of the CAA.

“I think it’s definitely an advantage just for me personally, just knowing what to expect being in those environments before,” Langford said. “I played in most of those arenas. Understanding what it’s like on a Friday, Sunday, every day in conference play. I think that gives us a little bit of an advantage.”

One challenge the Seawolves will have to overcome is the overturn of their roster, as several key contributors to last year’s team are now gone. Earlette Scott, India Pagan and Leighah-Amori Wool were all regular starters who graduated in the spring. The trio combined to score over 45% of the team’s points last season.

The bench is suffering a major loss as well with the departure of McKenzie Bushee. Bushee provided a spark off the bench for much of her career, and in 2021 she was named America East Sixth Player of the Year.

Despite the losses, Langford is still confident in her team’s abilities and feels the team still has the size needed to compete.

This year’s team will feature seven newcomers, including several transfers like guard Daishai “Dai Dai” Almond, forward Sherese Pittman and guard Shamarla King. Six players will return from last year’s team, including star guards Annie Warren and Gigi Gonzalez. Warren was a First Team All-Conference selection last year, while Gonzalez was third in the conference in assists.

Look for forwards Nairimar Vargas-Reyes and Pittman to step up and try to fill the void left by Pagan and Wool. Vargas-Rey es stands at six feet tall, while Pittman is 6-foot-2. Vargas-Reyes was the America East’s

The diversity of lineups and play styles will pose a challenge to anyone the Seawolves go up against. Expect Stony Brook to play a ton of positionless basketball as opposed to a more traditional lineup.

“We’ve got a lot of versatility,” Langford said. “There’s five positions out there, but we’re going to play more positionless basketball.”

This year’s team will be centered around its guards, with Warren and Gonzalez both primed to play crucial roles in the team’s offense. It all starts with Warren, who can expect an even bigger role on offense this season. Langford is confident in Warren’s ability to be the top option and feels Warren has the tools to be an offensive weapon for the Seawolves.

“You’ll keep hearing me say versatility,” Langford said. “That’s what we’re going to do this year is be a lot more versatile. You’re going to see players in different positions that are maybe a little unconventional, but it will be to our advantage.”

On the offensive side of things, expect this year’s team to play a different style compared to years past. Last year’s offense averaged a conference-best 67.4 points per game, but a large portion of those points came inside the paint.

Without Pagan and Wool at their dispos al, the Seawolves may have to play a more perimeter-based offense.

“There’s a lot of different ways to win,” Langford said. “Last year, we were a lot more inside than outside. Maybe this year, we’re a little more perimeter guard oriented.”

A challenge the offense might face is shooting the three ball. Outside of War ren and Corley, there is not currently a consistent shooter the team can turn to. Wool’s departure will leave a void in the offense, as she shot a teambest 41% from behind the arc last season. The combination of Warren, Corley and Wool totaled 94 of the team’s 153 three-pointers on the season.

The Stony Brook program is known for its suffocating defense that sees defend ers swarm the ball, create turnovers, force bad shots and secure rebounds. Last year’s team continued the trend by boasting the 32nd-best defense in the country out of 348 teams, surrendering just 56.5 points per game. That will remain a key for the Seawolves and is something they take great pride in.

ninth-leading rebounder last season as a role player. Both are primed to play a bigger role for the Seawolves this season, something Langford is excited about.

“That length, that athleticism, the jump ing ability are all exciting for me,” Langford said. She feels that her 13 players mesh well together.

“I think we brought in seven newcomers that are really good,” Langford said. “With a mix of our six returners, we’ve got really good players coming back.”

This group allows Stony Brook to be more versatile and allows for all types of lineups to be put on the court. Due to the shapeup around the roster, the Seawolves may have to change their strategy.

“We’re just going to play a little different brand of basketball this year,” Langford said. “That’s what you do every year, you have to adapt to your personnel and put yourself into a position to win.”

Gonzalez will likely continue to serve as the team’s primary facilitator, as she led the team in assists a year ago. The backcourt pairing of Warren and Gonzalez makes the Seawolves a real threat in the CAA.

The conference has already seemed to take notice of the duo, as both guards were given preseason honors. Warren was named to the Preseason All-CAA Second Team, while Gonzalez received an honorable mention.

Almond will likely play a similar role to Gonzalez off the bench, as she averaged 3.9 assists per game over her last three seasons with Southern Mississippi. Guards Kelis Corley and Erin Turral will see playing time off the bench too, and can slide right into the starting lineup if needed.

The influx of guards provides Langford with a ton of versatility and lineup options, something she is going to use as an advan tage over opponents.

“Our identities are that we defend, we rebound and we run,” Langford said. “I’m excited about that.”

A major focus of this year’s team is mak ing sure they peak at the right time, as last year’s collapse proved costly. Langford wants the team to focus on getting better every day and leave the past behind them.

“We break up our seasons by quarters,” Langford said. “So we’re really focusing on the first quarter, second quarter, third quarter, fourth quarter, just like a game. Just staying in the moment and trying to be the very best there. I think that’s how you con tinuously improve every day. Then you turn around in March and you’re like ‘Alright, we’re playing our best basketball right now.’”

Stony Brook will open its 2022 season on the road against Syracuse on Nov. 7. The Seawolves will look to make good on their high expectations this year while aiming to punch a ticket to March Madness.

The Stony Brook women’s basketball team huddling before its exhbition match against Adelphi on Nov. 3. TIM GIORLANDO/THE STATESMAN

“I try to lead by example,” Policelli said. “I actually had to be more vocal just because we have a lot of young guys. I just feel like if you do the right thing, people are going to follow. Me and Ty, Tanahj and Kaine, the returners, we all kind of stepped up vocally.”

Stephenson-Moore was the fifth leading scorer for the Seawolves a season ago, starting in 22 of his 28 appear ances. The 6-foot-3 guard was the most efficient perimeter player for Stony Brook in his third year, shooting 47.9% from the field and a scorching 44.8% from three-point range. He also knocked down 85.2% of his free throws. With an increased role this season, the cocaptain brings outside scoring, perimeter defense and a veteran presence to an inexperienced roster.

As for Policelli, the lefty shooter is known for his three-point prowess. He shot 36.1% from deep last year while also hitting 80.4% of his free throws. Ford is bullish on Policelli’s passing ability and has referred to him as one of their best ball-movers. Ex pect Policelli to play a larger role in facilitating this season.

Guards Kaine Roberts and Tanahj Pettway will both be returning for their second year at Stony Brook. Pettway transferred to Stony Brook in 2021 but only made two appearances last year before a shoulder injury ended his season. Roberts was a benchwarm er in the first half of his freshman season, but he got some minutes in the second half after the in-sea son departures of Jenkins and Rodriguez. Now a sophomore, Roberts will likely step into a bigger role in the offense this season.

“Playing behind Jahlil and Juan, two very good college point guards, I learned a lot,” Roberts said. “It helped me at the end of the year when things weren’t going well. I had the opportu nity to step up, and a lot of things that they taught me are what I added to my game.”

The 2021 roster was centered around its guards. Though it was beneficial for the offense to have at least four shooters on the floor at a time, the defense suffered mightily with the lack of size. The Seawolves finished dead last in the conference in defense, allowing 73.1 points per game.

This was a problem that Ford knew had to be addressed. He did just that this offseason by bringing in four players who are 6-foot-10 or taller. The vast increase in size should help Stony Brook in rim protection and controlling the glass.

Center Keenan Fitzmorris is the prototypical big man that the Seawolves needed. The seven-foot graduate student will provide a paint presence that will grab rebounds and erase mistakes on the defensive end.

“I bring a post presence, being able to score over either shoulder in the post,

being able to set physical ball screens and grab rebounds,” Fitzmorris said. “And then we have a ton of shooting, but if I’m able to hit one or two, I can help open up opportunities for other guys to get driving lanes and get to the hoop and get dunks.”

Forward Kenan Sarvan will join Fitzmorris in the frontcourt. Sarvan has a different skill set than Fitzmorris, bringing playmaking and shooting abil ities as a big man. Last year at Mineral Area college, the 6-foot-10 Sarvan shot 39.5% from three on almost six attempts per game. Ford has made it clear that he will be rolling out rotations that include Sarvan at power forward in double-big lineups, something that may strike fear in opponents.

“He’s going to play a ton of four,” Ford said. “He’s played more four than five, so he’ll be on the perimeter a ton.”

Other notable additions to the front court are center Rocco Muratori and forward Leon Nahar, both coming in as true freshmen. Ford said that Muratori

clearly, starting point guard and a huge role. He’s had a little injury setback, he’s been out for about a month. We’re going to get him back, but I don’t know if that’s tomorrow or two weeks from now.”

Other additions to the backcourt include guards Dean Noll and Sabry Philip. Noll spent four seasons at Cornell before making the move to Stony Brook and was named Second Team All-Ivy League last season. He was expected to play a key role for the Seawolves this year but will be out for the season after tearing his ACL in September.

Unfortunately, it’s a similar story for Philip. The Navarro College transfer brings athleticism and scoring to the roster but will miss the season after tearing his Achilles tendon during training camp.

“Those are huge losses; Sabry and Dean are very good players and just about as high quality human beings as you’d ever want to be around,” Ford said. “But we’ve got to find a way to figure it out.”

will join Fitzmorris and Sarvan in the center rotation to start the season, stand ing at a towering 7-foot-3 and weighing 270 pounds.

With the lack of size last season, Po licelli was relegated to playing many of his minutes at center. Luckily, size is no longer an issue for the Seawolves, and the natural small forward will get back to his roots of playing on the perimeter this season.

“I’m super excited to go back out on the wing,” Policelli said. “The good thing was that I was able to learn how to post up smaller players. So I kind of developed that part of my game a little bit. So in retrospect, I guess I’m kind of grateful for it because now I can apply it to this year. But being on the wings is more natural for me.”

Another player to look out for is guard Aaron Clarke. The 6-foot-1 graduate student played four seasons for the Sacred Heart Pioneers, making the All-NEC Third Team and leading the conference in assists per game last season. Clarke was named an All-CAA honorable mention in the preseason polls. He suffered a back injury in the offseason, and the timetable for his return is not yet clear. When he returns, Clarke will be starting at point guard.

“Aaron had an awesome summer,” Ford said. “He was trending towards,

The openings in the backcourt will require a young player to step up. Some freshmen names to look out for are guards Toby Onyekonwu and Jared Frey. Onyekonwu brings a little bit of everything to the table, averaging 25 points, five assists and five re bounds in his senior year of high school. Frey brings size at 6-foot4 as well as lights-out three-point shooting, holding the single season record for three-pointers made and three-point percent age at International Sports Academy at Andrews Osborne.

“What I would say about Toby is that he is a super willing learner,” Ford said. “He comes in all the time, wants to watch extra film, and he wants to be really good. [Frey] is one of the best shooters to ever step foot in this gym. Elite shooter, has some game off the dribble. He will play a ton.”

Though the loss of key players is a punch in the gut for the Seawolves, they still have the potential to keep their heads above water in the CAA. It is unlikely that they will be able to put up 72.9 points per game like last year, but the defensive versatility and rebounding hopes to pull them past expectations.

“I’m hoping to see a group of guys that can really play together and that can play in games like we can in practice,” Ford said. “We’ve been an excellent passing team. We’ve been a very unselfish team. We’ve been an excellent three-point shooting team, and we’ve got guys who can score in the low post.”

Stony Brook may not be as talented or flashy as last year, but the team likes its chances. It may be a long shot for the Seawolves to go dancing in March, but if everything falls into place, they might have a fighting chance.

“We’ve been an excellent passing team. We’ve been a very unselfish team. We’ve been an excellent three-point shooting team, and we’ve got guys who can score in the low post.”

- Geno Ford, head coach

Warren’s prowess has earned her the nickname “Annie Buckets.” The Seawolves will need all the buckets they can get from Warren this season, who she will be the team’s first scoring option. This should not come as a surprise, as Warren has done nothing but score at a high level since her freshman year with Stony Brook. Warren is confident in her abilities to fill the void that former star India Pagan has left as the team’s top scorer.

“It does feel good to be able to play that role,” Warren said in an interview with The Statesman. “It’s just exciting.”

Warren can score at all three levels. She is one of Stony Brook’s most decorated scorers, ranking sixth in program history in three-pointers made with 128 and 10th in three-point shooting percentage at 32%. She also converts on 77.5% of her free throws.

“When you can shoot, people have to play you honest,” Warren said. “I can get to the rim or pull up. It’s very helpful.”

In the backcourt, Warren will be joined by guard Gigi Gonzalez, a pass-first player who will be tasked with running the offense. She posted a team-high 3.9 assists per game last season, good for third best in the America East. Her playmaking ability is a major asset to the Seawolves and adds another level of complexity to the offense.

“I want to get my teammates the ball as much as I can,” Gonzalez said. “They’ll be running for the ball, so I’m going to try to find them as much as I can.”

Gonzalez made her presence felt last season and became a key contributor on both sides of the ball. She started in 28 of her 29 appearances after starting just six times through her first two seasons. Last year’s experience is something Gon zalez is grateful for, as it helped her grow as a player.

“It gave me a lot more experience,” Gonzalez said. “It just helped me learn the game a lot more. I’m so grateful for those starts because it really changed my game.”

Gonzalez fits like a glove into Lang ford’s scheme. She is a solid scorer as well, posting a career-high 9.6 points per game last year. Before the final two games of the season, she was averaging over 10 points per game.

Gonzalez is also a strong defender who totaled a team-high 47 steals last season. She posted new career highs in almost every category across the stat sheet, something she feels she can improve upon in 2022.

“You can expect more career highs,” Gonzalez said. “I’m planning to get more assists, things like that. Helping my team mates and just winning is really a prime focus for us.”

The pairing of Gonzalez and Warren gives Stony Brook a dynamic duo in the backcourt, as their veteran presence will help guide the team. They have taken it upon themselves to be leaders in the locker room and on the court.

“Annie was already a leader; she was our captain from last year,” Langford said. “Gigi has her leadership role. Her growth

and development as a person has been tre mendous over this last year, and it’s been fun to watch.”

The backcourt depth runs deep, with several guards who can come off the bench and make an immediate impact on the game.

That includes guard Kelis Corley, who was a pleasant surprise last year for the Seawolves.

Corely quickly became a key contrib utor on defense after playing sparingly throughout her freshman season.

“Kelis is sometimes an unsung hero,” Langford said. “She’s just a glue player for us and does a little bit of everything.”

Corley is a strong defender with active hands. She only started five games last sea son, but was the go-to player off the bench. She logged 546 playing minutes, sixthmost on the team.

Corley has the ability to lock down opposing players and create turnovers, something she is always trying to improve upon.

“I do like to work on my defense a lot,” Corley said. “It makes me feel good when I lock down a player and they don’t score as much.”

Corley has the potential to be a reliable three-point shooter and defender for Stony Brook. She shot 30.8% from three-point range last season, fourth best on the team. She is still working on her offensive game, as she hopes to become a more well-rounded player.

“I’m trying to work on getting a quicker release in my shots,” Corley said. “Also, I want to work on mid-range jumpers so that I can have a three-level scoring ability.”

The Seawolves also bulked up their backcourt through the transfer portal, landing guard Daishai “Dai Dai” Almond in the offseason. Almond is a three-year starter from Southern Missis sippi and is entering her fifth season of NCAA basketball.

The addition of Almond adds another experienced defender and playmaker like Gonzalez. The playmaking potential of Almond and Gonzalez could turn out to be one the best pairings in the CAA, as they can both run an offense. Gonzalez sees great potential in the backcourt with Almond and herself.

“So glad to have Dai Dai on my team,” Gonzalez said. “She is a great player. She has a lot of energy and a high motor, and she’s going to be an amazing asset.”

Almond racked up 109 assists last season at Southern Mississippi, including 14 in one game.

Over the past three years, she has aver aged 3.9 assists per game. Her playmaking ability is something she is particularly proud of.

“I take pride in passing the ball and getting my teammates open,” Almond said.

Almond has shown extreme selfless ness at Stony Brook, and she is committed to doing whatever it will take in order to be successful this season. She said she wants to do what is best for the team, even if that means moving positions or coming off the bench.

“Move me to the three; give me another opportunity to get to the basket,” Almond said. “To get points for the team, stuff like that.”

Almond’s commitment and sacrifice have made her a leader in the locker room, and her veteran experience is just another reason to be excited about this Stony Brook backcourt.

“I set a goal for myself to be more of a vocal leader and put everybody in positions to be successful,” Almond said.

Almond is also a physical defender who can force turno vers, tallying 60 steals last season. Her 2.1 steals per game were good for fifth-best in the Conference USA (CUSA).

A breakout candidate in the backcourt this season is sophomore Erin Turral.

Turral saw limited action last year but won an America East Rookie of the Week award last December. She played her best basketball towards the end of the year, including a career-high 11-point perfor mance that helped the Seawolves avoid an upset against UMass Lowell.

The sheer amount of depth in the backcourt helps the Seawolves match up well on both sides of the ball.

“It definitely creates a mismatch and an advantage on the offensive end for sure,” Langford said. “Defensively, we just have to dig in and be tough and physical.”

The backcourt will need to play a vital role down the stretch in March, as guards dictate play when it comes playoff time in the NCAA.

“I don’t think we have too many guards,” Langford said. “I mean in March, it’s all about guard play and there we’ve got a lot of versatility.”

With a mix of both veteran and youth talent, the Stony Brook backcourt will play a pivotal role in the outcome of its 2022 season. The backcourt has the potential to help lead the Seawolves to great heights in what could shape up to be a very successful inaugural season in the CAA.

Guards Daishai Almond and Erin Turral playing defense in an exhibition against Adelphi on Nov. 3. TIM GIORLANDO/THE STATESMAN

from page 4 Seawolf, as she felt that Loyola did not want her at first.

“The other school [Loyola] didn’t really want me at first, so I wasn’t really feeling that,” Warren said. “So I decided to come here. But I really did like it here. They made me feel comfortable and feel like family. They actually wanted me to come here.”

Warren wasted no time once she got to Stony Brook, earning America East (AE) All-Rookie honors as a freshman in the 201819 season. She was one of the team’s best bench players, playing 17.4 minutes per game despite only starting seven games.

She earned AE Rookie of the Week four times that season and helped lead the team to a 23-8 overall record. She credits her coaches and teammates for helping her successfully adapt to the NCAA.

“It actually was not easy, but it was really my coaches and my teammates,” Warren said. “They knew my potential and they pushed me towards that. I was playing against players like Shorty [Shania] Johnson and Jerell Matthews everyday. So I think that really helped.”

Warren made a huge second-year leap, becoming a Third Team All-Conference se lection in the 2019-20 season. She started all 31 games and shot a career-best 41.9% from the field. She also shot 34.1% from threepoint range and 75.9% from the free throw line, which were both significant increases from her freshman season. She averaged 10.0 points per game as the Seawolves finished first place in the regular season.

That team made it all the way to the AE championship before the outbreak of COV ID-19 led to the game being canceled.

Missing out on the NCAA tournament was a hard pill to swallow for Warren and the Seawolves, but she believes that it

selection. Like she did in high school, Warren upped her game when her team needed it most.

for eighth best in the conference, while her 2.4 assists per game was good for 13th. Her career year led to her being selected to the All-AE First Team.

She was also named the team’s captain. Behind her efforts and leadership, Stony Brook went 23-6 and earned an automatic bid to the 2022 Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT).

Coming into this year, Warren has a chance to cement herself as one of the great est players in program history. She has made the sixth-most three-pointers in school his tory and boasts the 10th-highest three-point percentage (.327) of any qualified shooter. She also enters the season as the fourth-best free throw shooter in program history at 77.5%.

Warren is currently just 56 points away from reaching the 1,000 point mark. She could potentially move into Stony Brook’s top 10 all-time scorers list with 406 points this year.

With several starters from last year’s team gone, Warren is all but guaranteed to be the top option for the Seawolves on offense.

helped strengthen the team’s chemistry.

“It was tough, but it was a great experi ence with my teammates,” Warren said. “I think it made us closer.”

Stony Brook bounced back in the 202021 season, winning its first AE tournament championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Warren was integral in this achievement, as she started all 21 games for the Seawolves and played the most minutes on the team. She shot .392/.326/.808 while leading the team in three-pointers. Her scor ing average went up to 10.6 points per game.

Warren’s regular season earned her a sec ond-consecutive Third Team All-Conference

In the AE championship game against Maine, she scored a career-high 31 points to send Stony Brook to the NCAA Tournament.

Her performance earned her the Most Outstanding Player award of the tournament, and the 31 points was tied for 10th most in a game by a Seawolf.

“It felt really good,” Warren said. “I’m al ways putting in the hard work. So, for it to be able to show, especially on one of the biggest stages, it’s really exciting.”

Warren continued to ascend in her senior year, putting up career highs in points per game, rebounds, assists and three-point per centage. Her 12.0 points per game was good

Despite the potential statistical accom plishments that Warren could reach this year, her goal is simply to be a better leader and teammate.

“I want to make my teammates better,” Warren said. “I don’t have to always score, but I want to put my teammates in a position to score.”

Down the road, Warren wants to play professionally. She has been a health science major since her freshman year and is interest ed in going into nursing. However, as of now, the goal is to make it to the WNBA.

“If I get the opportunity, I won’t pass up on it,” Warren said.

Annie Warren hustling back on defense in an exhibition against Adelphi on Nov. 3.

TIM GIORLANDO/THE STATESMAN

Assistant Sports Editor

Assistant Opinions Editor

Assistant Multimedia Editor

Assistant Multimedia Editor

Assistant Multimedia Editor

Assistant Copy Editor

Assistant Copy Editor

Riddle

Howlin

Continued from page 2

‘Wow, this is my time to just shine.’”

Playing for her national team against some of the world’s best players showed Vargas-Reyes how high the bar is to reach the next level. She said that playing in FIBA tournaments helped her realize how hard she has to work to reach the WNBA.

“That motivated me to just put in the work every night,” Vargas-Reyes said. “I’ve just been working in the dark where nobody sees me, so I can just go out there and shine.”

While playing in a tournament with her high school team in Tam pa, Fla., Vargas-Reyes caught the attention of an assistant coach from Florida Southwestern State College. The school was a junior college and the only school to make her an of fer. After a positive visit, she agreed to join the team with the hopes of going Division I after.

successful JUCO run, one of which came from Stony Brook.

While trying to make her decision, Pagan reached out to Var gas-Reyes about Stony Brook’s team being interested in her. However, her decision to commit to Stony Brook was ultimately a family-ori ented decision.

“I wanted to be close to my mom, who lives in New Jersey,” Vargas-Reyes said. “I’ve always wanted to play the highest level of basketball, which was Division I, and I worked for it. My dream finally came true.”

She was a role player in her first year with the Seawolves, making 19 appearances and averaging 3.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Despite playing a smaller role, she helped the team make its first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament in March 2021.

They finished in eighth place, making it the first time Puerto Rico has ever made the top 10. She believes that her most recent experience with the national team is going to help her have a big final year with Stony Brook.

“For this season, I think it’s going to help me a lot,” Vargas-Rey es said. “Being able to play against the best players in the world was just eye-opening for me because now that I’ve experienced being there, it made me realize how much I have to work to get to that level.”

The Seawolves graduated some of their top players last year, making it likely that Vargas-Reyes will now be a regular starter for the group. No matter her role for this year, she plans to use her body more and be more physical on both ends of the court.

Assistant Audience Engagement McKenzie Post

Contact Us

To contact the Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editors about organizational comments, questions, suggestions, corrections or photo permission, email editors@sbstatesman.com.

The Statesman is a student-run, student-written incor porated publication at Stony Brook University in New York. The paper was founded as The Sucolian in 1957 at Oyster Bay, the original site of Stony Brook University. In 1975, The Statesman was incorporated as a not-for-prof it, student-run organization. Its editorial board, writers and multimedia staff are all student volunteers.

The Statesman and its editors have won several awards for student journalism and several past editors have gone on to enjoy distinguished careers in the field of journalism.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in columns or in the Letters and Opinions section are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Statesman

For more Statesman content, visit us at sbstatesman.com and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @sbstatesman.

Vargas-Reyes arrived at the JUCO school in 2018 and made an instant impact. She was named to the all-conference team in both of her seasons there, winning back-toback Suncoast Conference titles in the process. While she was there, Vargas-Reyes kept her Division I goal on the forefront of her mind. She worked hard and surrounded herself with people who shared her aspirations.

“I’ve always wanted to be one of the best,” Vargas-Reyes said. “I stuck to players who were working towards the same goal that I was working for, and I feel that made an impact with my career.”

Vargas-Reyes received a long list of Division I offers after her

“I believed that it was a learning process,” Vargas-Reyes said. “When you’re new in any situation like this, at the highest level, you have to learn to sit back and just watch and see what you could get better at.”

Vargas-Reyes played in 23 games in 2021-22, posting higher field goal and three-point percentages while averaging more points per game. She also averaged 6.2 total rebounds per game, good for ninth best in the America East Con ference. The team continued to succeed, earning an automatic bid to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT).

Vargas-Reyes exercised her fifth year of eligibility and returned to Stony Brook this offseason after participating with Team Puerto Rico in the World Cup over the summer.

“Individually, I’m working on being more aggressive on the offen sive and defensive end,” VargasReyes said. “I’m just trying to get downhill, use my body more, and just be able to knock shots down when I have the chance to.”

No matter the aftermath of the season, Vargas-Reyes will be graduating with her master’s degree in coaching. She wants to continue with basketball from a different perspective.

“I just want to be able to show and teach younger kids about basketball and how hard you have to work if you want to be an elite player,” Vargas-Reyes said.

With her final season about to tip off, Vargas-Reyes has a clear goal in mind.

“We’re working towards winning the NCAA championship; everybody wants that.”

New crop of transfers looking to elevate Stony Brook men’s basketball

By Kenny Spurrell

After losing nine players from last year’s squad, the Stony Brook men’s basketball team is returning only four for the 2022-23 season. The team was in desperate need, so head coach Geno Ford and his staff brought in some outside help.

The Seawolves will rely heavily on their five new transfer students, who bring a unique set of skills different from the ones that last year’s team possessed. Expect them to be integral to the Seawolves’ success as they look to make a mark in their first season in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).

“Transfer-wise, we’re kind of counting on all those guys,” Ford said in an interview with The Statesman. “I mean, they’re older and we need production from them.”

Stony Brook had high hopes coming into last season with a group of star-studded trans fers, but all of them are gone now. Last year’s team was built to outscore everyone in the conference in an attempt to cover up any deficiencies on defense. The team wound up with the worst scoring defense in the America East, leading to an entirely different recruit ing approach from Ford this past offseason.

“We had a lot of guys that had scored a lot in their career,” Ford said. “Last year, we were really fast. But if you got by us, we were in big trouble, because we didn’t have anybody that could protect the rim.”

Lack of size was a culprit in the defensive flaws for the Seawolves, and Ford was quick to address the issue by bringing in 6-foot-10 for ward Kenan Sarvan as the first signee of the offseason. The Dutch big started his career at the Division I level at Coppin State in the 2020-21 season. There, he was named to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference All-Rookie Team, but he wanted a bigger role following his freshman year.

Sarvan decided that it would be best for him to take a step down to the junior college (JUCO) level in hopes of finding a Division I team that he would be featured more on. He transferred to Mineral Area College in Mis souri before the 2021-22 season to showcase his abilities to potential Division I suitors.

“The transfer portal was pretty much packed, and I had offers being pulled away in like a week or two,” Sarvan said. “A good friend of mine, Malevy Leons, played for [Mineral Area] and he told me ‘If you come here, you’re going to win and you’re going to boost your stats and go back to Division I.’” He decided to come to Stony Brook due to Ford’s reputation and resumé.

“[Ford’s] background is just amazing, as a player and a coach,” Sarvan said. “It’s mainly because of Coach Ford that I’m here.”

Sarvan averaged 11.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game in his lone JUCO year. Though he is an ideal rim-protector’s height, Sarvan is a versatile big that will bring the Seawolves shooting and playmaking at either power forward or center.

“He’s got the prototypical European big man game, and I love that about him,” Ford said. “He’s one of our best drib blers, he’s one of our best passers and he’s one of our best shooters. And he’s 6-foot-10. He plays a huge role because we need the other team’s big guy to come out and play him.”

Sarvan shot 39.5% from threepoint range last year on 5.9 attempts per game. He made it clear that Ford will be giving him the green light to be a volume shooter from deep this season.

“At my JUCO last year, they played the same way,” Sarvan said. “I’m a guy who’s shooting eight to 12 threes a game, if not more than that. So a lot of playmaking and a lot of shooting.”

Guard Aaron Clarke is another key piece in this transfer wave. After playing four seasons at Sacred Heart, Clarke will bring value to the Seawolves this season as a veteran facilitator and scorer. He is expected to fill the role of point guard after losing both Jahlil Jenkins and Juan Felix Rodriguez.

“I just wanted to find something new, like a new opportunity, a new journey,” Clarke said. “It’s different. I was at Sacred Heart for four years, and I just wanted a challenge honestly.”

In his senior season with the Pioneers, Clarke was second in the Northeast Con ference in assists per game (4.1) and led the conference in free throw percentage (.872). Clarke also ranked third in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.73), highlighted by a 10-assist, zero turnover performance against LIU. This will greatly help the Seawolves maintain their offensive efficiency after rank ing fourth in the America East last season in that statistic.

“We’re counting on big things because he’s the most experienced,” Ford said. “Just having

a guy like Aaron who’s been an all league player is comforting because hopefully he can help us with the organization of offense.”

The New Jersey-native will also be a scoring threat for Stony Brook, averaging 16.0 points per game last season and eclipsing the 1,000 point mark for his career. He displayed his ability as a dual-threat guard last season in a 26-point, eight-assist performance against St. Francis.

Clarke was named an All-CAA honorable mention in the annual preseason poll, but he made it clear that the recognition will not get in the way of his goals for this season.

“It’s always good to be recognized in some form or fashion,” Clarke said. “But I just have to prove that I’m not honorable mention, I’m one of those first-teamers. We’re competing for a CAA championship, and that’s my num ber one priority.”

This year’s transfer class also includes center Keenan Fitzmorris from Stanford. Standing at a towering seven feet tall, the graduate student will bring a much-needed paint presence for the Seawolves this season.

“It’s been a great transition,” Fitzmorris said. “I love the people … It makes it feel like home even though I’ve been really far away from home. I love it here.”

The Kansas-native spent four years as a Cardinal, but was only active for two of them after redshirt ing as a freshman and missing last season due to injury. Despite being the 13th-best center of the 2018 high school class according to Rivals150, Fitzmorris got little playing time at Stanford when he was active. He made only 18 total appear ances in his career, averaging less than two minutes per game.

“I’d redshirted my freshman year, and I had a COVID year, and I had shoulder surgery my senior year,” Fitzmorris said. “So I had some adversity, and I wanted to go into a new situation where I could be in a new surrounding and get a fresh start. I think that there’s something special with new beginnings, and being here has been really special.”

Fitzmorris will be stepping into the biggest role of his collegiate career at Stony Brook. His size gives the Seawolves a player who can erase mistakes at the rim, set screens and post up. The Seawolves were middle of the pack in rebounding last season, and Fitz morris’ ability to clean the glass should help.

“I really love the mentality that we have here and how our coach really trusts us on

the floor,” Fitzmorris said. “We have an incredible amount of shooters and people stretching the floor. Being able to play inside and find guys outside, it opens up the entire floor.”

Along with being somebody that can score inside, Fitzmorris also has the ability to pull from deep. This will be a valuable asset to Stony Brook’s offense, as Ford will be able to roll out five shooters at a time without need ing to downsize.

“Keenan has been really good for us at the five spot,” Ford said. “He can stretch [the floor] and shoot threes. He has experience and he’s a good athlete.”

The Seawolves also snagged two impactful guards from the transfer portal: Dean Noll and Sabry Philip. Noll spent four seasons at Cornell and was selected to the All-Ivy Second Team last season, averaging 12.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists. Philip is a hard-nosed, athletic guard who averaged 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last season at Navarro College.

Unfortunately, both will miss the entire 2022-23 season due to injury.

The two were expected to fill major roles this season for the Seawolves. As guards, they bring a physical aspect of the game that most of the team’s other guards do not.

“We don’t have slashers with Sabry and Dean being out,” Ford said. “That really took away two of our major penetra tion threats.”

Given the upgrade in compe tition and the many losses of talent, the Seawolves may take a step back this year in the win-loss de partment. However, Ford has brought in veteran talent who will make a differ ence on both ends of the floor.

Though there are less natural scorers on this year’s squad, the trans fers bring enough playmaking and shooting ability to keep the team competitive. The new collection of players has also helped turn a weakness into a potential strength overnight, as the defense figures to get much better with the new bigs on the frontcourt.

These new pieces will look to help the Seawolves get over the hump and find their way back into the NCAA Tournament.

Though new to town, the transfers share the same goal as everyone else in the Stony Brook locker room. Sarvan did not waver on his expectations.

“Win in February, and go dance in March,” Sarvan said.

Center Keenan Fitzmorris taking a pull-up shot at practice on Nov. 4. CAMRON WANG/THE STATESMAN

Forward Kenan Sarvan going to shoot during practice on Nov. 4. CAMRON WANG/THE STATESMAN