Following an utterly disappointing performance against La Salle University on Feb. 8 in which the Hawks fell 83-66, it seems appropriate to evaluate the future of the men’s basketball program.
Prior to the start of the season, optimists like myself hoped that Head Coach Billy Lange would lead a team of young, inexperienced players to a mediocre season. That hasn’t happened. Rather, the Hawks have lived up to the standard that many around the conference expected—a team that can be steamrolled.
Right now, the Hawks are not missing just one or two key pieces. They are missing assets at nearly every position. All of those pieces will not be filled for next season, but, if recruiting and player development operate as was expected when Lange was hired, the Hawks have a chance to rapidly improve over the next three seasons.
2020-21 season (4-14 in Atlantic 10 conference play)
The Hawks will be adding several pieces to next season’s roster, including redshirt sophomore forward Taylor Funk. Funk will be returning from a hand injury which caused him to miss all of Atlantic 10 play this season.
Recently, the Hawks starting lineup has included redshirt junior guard Ryan Daly, senior guard Toliver Freeman, freshman guard Cameron Brown, sophomore forward Myles Douglas and junior forward Anthony Longpre. Take a mental note of this lineup to compare to next season’s starting five.
With the majority of recruiting for the 2020-21 season completed, it is possible to make a projection at the starting lineup come November. Daly and Brown are the only players who I expect to start next season from the current starting lineup. Funk and Gonzaga University transfer Greg Foster Jr. will join the starting five which leaves one spot up for debate. Longpre, Douglas and Xavier University transfer Dahmir Bishop will be fighting for that final spot in the offseason.
The 2020-21 season will provide the Hawks with significant improvement in guard play. Brown will be in his second year and Foster will become the new impact player. The four and five position, however, will still struggle, causing the Hawks to fall to 4-14 in conference play.
2021-22 season (8-10 in A-10 conference play)
With Foster, Brown and Douglas returning in the 2021-22 season, the Hawks will maintain their strong guard play, but continue to lack an inside presence. Funk is a stretch-four. He is not going to provide the Hawks with a defensive presence at the rim or post-up on offense. Longpre will have graduated leaving current freshman Anton Jansson as the primary rim-defender and inside presence for the Hawks.
During the offseason prior to the 2021- 22 season, the Hawks need to acquire a true big man who is willing to play on the block, set screens and pull defenders away from guards. A player who is 6 feet 10 inches tall or taller, weighing 220 pounds or more.
A player like four-star recruit Adama Sanogo out of the St. Patrick School would be an ideal pickup for the Hawks. He is 6 feet 9 inches tall, but plays like a true big man, defending the rim, rebounding and dominating in the paint. Sanogo playing and developing behind Jansson would set the Hawks up well for the 2022-23 season and beyond.
If the Hawks can acquire a true big man from the high school class of 2021, they will finish A-10 play just below .500 at 8-10, which is a significant increase from this cur- rent season and next season.
2022-23 season (13-5 in A-10 conference play)
The 2022-23 season is when the Lange era will begin to see success. Unfortunately, players like Daly, Funk, Longpre, Edwards and Douglas will have graduated, but Foster, Bishop, Jansson and Brown will be experienced NCAA players capable of leading a team.
It is the 2022-23 season that the Hawks will be able to truly develop new players before putting them into the rotation, unlike what has happened in this current season where players like Brown and Douglas have had to learn how to play at the collegiate level while starting.
There are currently four players from Pennsylvania in the top 50 of the 2022 recruiting class according to 247sports. Of these players, five-star guard Justice Williams out of Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia and four star center Dereck Lively II out of the Westtown School in West Chester, Pennsylvania are players Lange and the Hawks coaching staff need to begin targeting.
It is imperative that the Hawks’ addition in the 2022 recruiting class include a four- star or five-star guard and forward/center. The era of only recruiting two-star and three-star players must end if the Hawks want to compete in the A-10 conference.
