It’s that time of year ladies and gentlemen…hoops season. Quinnipiac is coming off of one of their relatively most successful regular seasons in recent memory. After going 20-12 overall, however, ending with a heartbreaking loss to No.11 Marist in the MAAC quarter-finals.
Since that loss, Quinnipiac men’s basketball has gone through some dramatic changes.
Last spring, Baker Dunleavy stepped down as coach after his sixth season at the helm. Quickly after his resignation, Dunleavy joined Villanova as general manager of basketball. A new position in the athletic department that was seemingly created just for him. Quinnipiac looked no further to assistant and longtime college coach Tom Pecora to fill the suddenly vacant head coaching position.
“Obviously it was a surprise,” said Pecora. “It’s a great opportunity. I plan on coaching for another five or 10 years and whether it was here as a head coach or somewhere else…I know I have a lot of coaching left in me.”
Pecora has been an assistant coach at Quinnipiac since 2017, the same year Dunleavy was brought in from Villanova. Pecora has 14 years of experience as head coach including stints at Hofstra (2001-2010) and Fordham (2010-2015).
Pecora has emphasized his confidence in his guys on the defensive end.
“I think we’ll probably play a little bit more zone…we’re gonna be a little bit more defensive at times. I think we have great depth, I feel confident playing nine or 10 of these guys.”
One thing Quinnipiac is surely not lacking is its veteran presence.
Graduates Matt Balanc and Savion Lewis return to the squad this year for their sixth campaign with the Bobcats. Balanc, who was a captain and finished second on the team in scoring last year, is confident in his ability to mentor the young guys on the squad.
“Well last year I was a captain and I feel as though I kind of wasn’t ready. I didn’t really have the knowledge I have now to be able to take care of the team the way I know I can now.”
Balanc looks forward to sharing the captain title with Lewis in their potential last dance.
“Being able to do it with Savion is just great. Sav’ has a great basketball mind, he understands the game, he’s a floor general…it’s good to be able to have him lead with me and I think that’s just a great thing for this year.”
Lewis has been dealing with injury in his past couple go arounds but now he’s healed and looking forward to this upcoming year.
“I’m excited. I’m healthy this year. New squad, new coach. I’m just really excited. Last year we had a really good squad but this year is just a little different.”
“We are more of a fast-paced team and more defensive-oriented,” said Lewis. “Other years we relied more on our offense and now we have a lot more athleticism, we’re just better defensively.”
Paul Otieno, who started all 32 games for the Bobcats last year was also named a captain for the 2023-2024 campaign. Otieno looks forward to sharing the floor with the newly acquired transfer from UConn Richie Springs.
“He’ll be the four, I’ll be the five mostly, in the paint getting rebounds. We will learn things though.”
Springs appeared in 19 of the Huskies’ 39 games last year and looks to bring in some championship experience to help build a winning culture in Hamden.
“I think I can bring a lot of good habits here,” said Springs. “Being there for four years, I learned a lot. The coaching staff, coach Hurley, all the things he preached to me, I feel like I can bring those ideas here and help the team win.”
Springs entered the transfer portal last spring after winning the NCAA championship with UConn. Springs saw the trust in the Quinnipiac locker room and jumped on the ship.
“I took my visit here and got to run with the guys… I was just comfortable here and it felt like home.”
The overall theme for Pecora’s squad seems to be unselfish basketball on and off the court, embracing the “we over me” attitude.
“Just to emphasize ‘we over me,’” said Lewis. “It’s very to worry about yourself…but when you put yourself to the team, that’s when you get real results.”
Quinnipiac also is bringing back Alexis Reyes, Quinn Guth, JJ Riggins and Nicholas Margetson. In addition to these key returning players, Quinnipiac has brought in seven new faces including four from the transfer portal. Those acquisitions include Arion Lewis, Doug Young and Amarri Tice. The Bobcats are also bringing in three first-years, Khaden Bennett, Rihards Vavers, and Daemar Kelly round out the new faces joining the locker room.
The Bobcats have earned some accolades before the year begins as Balanc earned all-MAAC preseason first team and Otieno received second team.
Quinnipiac is ranked at No. 5 in the preseason poll, a number that the team doesn’t seem to be too concerned with.
“I don’t really get caught up in that,” said Coach Pecora. “In this league the difference between first and fifth, in some years, it’s been one or two games, tie-breakers and all that kind of stuff.”
Otieno also weighed in on the rankings. “Me personally, I don’t really care what the rankings are. They are barely ever right.
With their eyes set on a run in the MAAC playoffs, fans can expect Quinnipiac to rally behind their new sense of brotherhood, headlined by a scrappy tough defense and a handful of leaders in the locker room.
