2016-17 Season Preview

11/10/2016 12:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball

By: Dartmouth

Dartmouth will open the 2016-17 men's basketball season with a new outlook, partly due to a new head coach in David McLaughlin. Six freshmen join the roster this year, but most of the core from last year's 10-18 squad remains.

“We are a process-oriented coaching staff rather than a goal-oriented one,” McLaughlin has made known from the outset of his hiring. “This team is going to be defined by being a gritty, work team that plays hard, smart and together.

“Offensively, we want to maximize easy baskets any time we can, and those generally come in transition and with second-chance opportunities. We are going to hunt for any shot that is unchallenged, in rhythm and within our flow. That is what we consider to be a good shot.

“On defense, effort and energy will be our most important assets as we strive to win all hustle and effort plays. We will protect the paint, get back in transition and play physically without fouling.”

Another reason for the new outlook is that the Ivy League has instituted a conference tournament with the top four teams advancing to The Palestra in Philadelphia to vie for the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. A few early losses will no longer eliminate any team from contention, extending hope for everyone to make its mark in the postseason.

Twice in the past eight seasons, Dartmouth has managed to finish in the upper half of the Ancient Eight. But in order to claim one of the coveted spots in the tournament, the Green will have to improve upon its sixth-place finish a year ago.

McLaughlin does have the luxury of having the last two Ivy League Rookies of the Year in sophomore forward Evan Boudreaux (6-8, 220) and junior wing Miles Wright (6-5, 210) at his disposal. The trick will be to balance their workloads with the rest of the squad to get a balanced offensive attack and a cohesive defensive unit.

Boudreaux exploded onto the scene last year by ranking second in the league in scoring and third in rebounding, and only one other freshman in the nation matched his combination of 17.7 points and 9.4 boards — Ben Simmons, the top pick in the NBA Draft. A USBWA All-District and All-Ivy League Second Team player, Boudreaux scored in double figures in 24 of his 27 games and recorded more double-doubles (10) than any Big Green player in 17 years.

Equally adept in the low post and on the perimeter, Boudreaux demonstrated an innate understanding of how to put points on the board, including at the foul line as he converted 140 free throws at an 82.8 percent clip. And his shot is accurate enough to top 40 percent outside the arc, making him a difficult match-up for any defender. In conference games, the native of Lake Forest, Illinois, averaged a double-double (20.2 points, 10.8 rebounds), proving just how tough he was to contain.

Under McLaughlin's guidance, Boudreaux will likely enhance his offensive role even further this year. “We think that Evan can be a distributor with the offense flowing through him from anywhere on the court,” McLaughlin said, “put him in position to make calls for the offense, in order to take his game to the next level as a scorer and distributor. He will have to work to fully grasp it, but it is just a fantastic role for him. It's no secret that the defenses will focus on him, so let's let him make decisions with the ball that are going to make the defense be as accountable as possible.”

While Boudreaux emerged as a go-to player for the Big Green, Wright has the ability to take over a game as well. In the third game of the 2015-16 season, the Boston native tied the Leede Arena record with a 39-point explosion, draining seven three-pointers in the process. For the season his scoring and rebounding both improved from a solid rookie campaign to 11.2 points, and he continued to be a skillful pickpocket on defense, ranking 10th in the league in steals.

While he tallied at least 10 points in over half of the contests, a streakiness emerged — five straight games in double figures, then six without, followed by six more with 10 or more. The challenge from McLaughlin this year will be to maintain Wright's consistency game in and game out.

“Offense can come and go, but what we really need from Miles is excellent defensive play. By focusing on becoming a lock-down defender — not just someone who steals the ball — his play will improve at both ends of the floor by keeping him engaged at all times. And he has the ability to be the best rebounding guard in the league, which comes with maintaining his aggressiveness.”

Point guard play is one area McLaughlin is looking for improvement. Last year the Big Green ranked seventh in the league in both assists and assist-to-turnover ratio, indicative of the struggles they had at the position. In search of a player that can progress the offense and protect the basketball, McLaughlin is handing the reins over to junior Taylor Johnson (6-4, 180).

Johnson emerged in the second half of last season as one of the team's top outside shooting threats, knocking down 46.7 percent of his long balls, not to mention an efficient 56.3 percent of his shots inside the arc as well. Now he will be tasked with establishing the half-court game and distributing the ball to advance the offensive mission.

“Taylor's got a great feel for the game with a great basketball acumen,” McLaughlin said. “He is very good decision maker and can shoot the ball. Most importantly, he is actively working on his communication and leadership skills, which is critical for a point guard. He put up some good numbers last year but in limited minutes. If he can maintain his production in double the minutes, he will have a huge impact on the floor.”

Johnson won't be able to play the point for a full 40 minutes, so McLaughlin has senior Mike Fleming (6-0, 180) and junior Cameron Smith (6-1, 180) waiting in the wings. Both saw time at the position a year ago for 12-13 minutes a game, with the latter starting 17 games. Both valued the ball as well and rarely turned it over. McLaughlin has gotten a taste of Fleming's leadership ability in the preseason, and notes that Smith may get more opportunities off the ball to take advantage of his athleticism for drives to the basket.

With Johnson moving over to the point, that opens up shooting guard for sophomore Guilien Smith (6-2, 200), who saw time in every game as a rookie. He showed flashes of his ability, scoring 11 or more points five times in an eight-game stretch. But a wrist injury hampered his shooting after the new year until the final two weeks of the season.

“Guilien is a very effective user of ball screens and can stretch the defense, which opens up lanes for him to drive to the basket,” noted McLaughlin. “When he attracts a second and third defender, he needs to recognize that to make good decisions. On defense, he is going to be held to a high level of accountability, and if he can demonstrate discipline on defense, he can have a very productive year for us.”

Both Johnson and Cameron Smith will also take up some minutes at the two, as will Wright, giving McLaughlin a strong rotation to mix and match his players at both ends of the floor.

A local product in freshman Ian Sistare (6-3, 195) has emerged during the preseason to earn playing time at the three in a reserve role for Wright. Sistare grew up down the road in Dublin, New Hampshire, and brings an energy to the squad that McLaughlin prizes. A McDonald's All-America nominee at Northfield Mount Hermon, he served as a team captain each of his last three seasons there, demonstrating leadership skills that will come in handy, even early in his career.

Boudreaux will get the bulk of the minutes at power forward, leaving the center position open for someone to take charge. Heading into the season, the Big Green will rely on the senior combination of Ike Ngwudo (6-6, 205) and Wesley Dickinson (6-7, 215) to provide meaningful minutes at the position and most notably deny offensive rebounds to the opposition.

Defense will be the name of the game for the duo with their length and athleticism. Ngwudo, who played sparingly in his first three seasons, will begin the season in the starting lineup. The promotion stems from his maximum effort approach on the court, hounding opponents in the post and generally gumming up the works. Dickinson has shot-blocking talent as evidenced by his average of two blocks per 40 minutes to this point in his career. But last year he also converted his occasional offensive opportunities to shoot over 80 percent from the floor.

“What we need from Ike and Wes is for them make sure their man does not get offensive rebounds,” McLaughlin said. “Their energy and first three steps in transition defense will be very important, and they have to be excellent communicators on the back side in our defense, particularly with our ball screen coverage. Offensively, they simply have to value the ball when they have it.”

Dartmouth's biggest player, senior Cole Harrison (6-11, 245) is coming back from an injury and when healthy can give the Big Green a half-court presence in the post, they simply don't have otherwise. Another returning veteran, senior Quinten Payne (6-5, 200), will vie for time at the three and four positions with the ability to hit the outside shot and quickly get up and down the floor.

The freshman class, headed by Sistare, has shown promise in the early going. Brendan Barry (6-2, 170) could see a few minutes as a sharpshooter and possible point guard off the bench after setting the career scoring record at Rumson-Fair Haven in New Jersey. James Foye (6-4, 190) comes from a strong Phillips Exeter program, can stretch a defense with his range and has a good sense for the game, but as is true for the three rookie forwards — Ian Carter (6-7, 205), Jonas Stakeliunas (6-8, 220) and Will Emery (6-9, 215) — they are developing and adjusting to the system and speed of the college game. How quickly they can do that will dictate their opportunities this season.

With a berth in the inaugural Ivy League Tournament on the line this year, McLaughlin will continue to evaluate his team during the non-conference portion of the schedule, beginning with a strong Rhode Island team in the season opener on Nov. 11. Experiments in lineup construction will be commonplace as the team evolves on the court in preparation for the league opener against Harvard at Leede Arena on Jan. 7.

Dartmouth was picked to finish sixth by the Ivy League media, but the general consensus is that every team has the ability to make a run at a top-four spot in the standings. How quickly the Big Green adapt to their new coach and their roles could determine whether or not Dartmouth will be heading to The Palestra for a shot at its first NCAA Tournament bid since 1959.