By Justin Zackal
If there’s any indication that the PAC is unpredictable and wide open in men’s basketball, it’s the 2019-20 Preseason Poll. Saint Vincent — a team with a new coach, a team that did not play in the championship game last year and a team that returns just two starters — was picked to win the league this year.
Sure, there are a few caveats: Saint Vincent went 14-2 in the PAC last year and its “new” coach is no stranger to the program.
“We’ve had a level of success at Saint Vincent; that’s part of it,” said first-year head coach Terrance Smith, who helped lead the Bearcats to a pair of PAC titles as an assistant coach under former coach D.P. Harris the last five years. “Some of it is we have a lot of returners from a decent team last year.”
Senior guard David Stephens (15.4 ppg, 3.9 apg) and sophomore guard Andrew Reed (4.8 ppg) are returning starters and among the five Bearcat returners who logged at least 12 or more minutes per game a year ago.
But that doesn’t make Smith’s job easy. Saint Vincent started this year 3-5, including a 69-53 loss at Thiel in its PAC opener. And like any team with some turnover, including losing PAC Player of the Year Tom Kromka (17.1 ppg, 8.0 rpg) to graduation, the Bearcats have work to do.
“This is an adjustment period,” Smith said. “We’re in the process of figuring out the best combinations on the floor and putting our guys in the best positions as possible to be successful. Last year, we had Tom Krompka, who was the stabilizer for us. We could count on him to either get a bucket, or a block or a rebound. He was steady for us. We’re still searching for that this year. We’re still trying to find our identity as a team.”
And, coming from a new coach, what type of identity does Smith desire for his team?
“I would like us to be a team that pressures the ball the majority of the time, whether that’s full-court or half-court, and shrink the court for the opponent and put people in uncomfortable situations,” Smith said. “We want to be the hardest working team on the court every time out and that hasn’t been the case so far.”
As for the identity of the PAC, Smith has been around long enough to know the challenges ahead. “The PAC is tough,” Smith said. “You’re going to be in a dogfight every night. There are no nights off in the PAC. It’s always going to be competitive and we’re going to expect to get everyone’s best effort. That’s how it should be.”
The following are one-sentence season previews for each team, listed in order of the PAC Preseason Poll with last year’s records in parenthesis:
SAINT VINCENT (22-5, 14-2 PAC)
The Bearcats have won the PAC four times since 2013 but none in the last three seasons after being upset in the PAC quarterfinals two years ago and against eventual PAC champion Chatham in last year’s semifinals.
WESTMINSTER (13-15, 9-7 PAC)
The Titans return four of the top five leading scorers, including senior guard Dylan O’Hara (10.0 ppg), from a team that advanced to the PAC finals last season.
GROVE CITY (17-12, 10-6 PAC)
After last year’s second-place finish in the regular season, the Wolverines welcome back four of five starters, including 6-foot-7 senior forward James Wells (16.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg), a first-team all-PAC selection.
WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON (10-16, 8-8 PAC)
The Presidents, who won as many PAC games last year as they did in their previous two seasons combined, will continue to rise with four returning starters, led by junior guard Cameron Seemann (15.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg).
GENEVA (9-17, 6-10 PAC)
Senior G/F Ethan Moose (15.6 ppg, 9.3 rpg) is back after earning his second straight, first-team all-PAC nod a year ago for the seventh-place Golden Tornadoes.
CHATHAM (19-10, 9-7 PAC)
Senior guard Will Sandherr (14.3 ppg) is the only returning starter from last year’s team that won its first-ever PAC title.
THIEL (7-19, 5-11 PAC)
After two straight eighth-place finishes, the Tomcats return three starters, led by junior guard Daquan Simmons (10.6 ppg).
WAYNESBURG (8-18, 7-9 PAC)
First-year head coach Tim Fusina takes over a Yellow Jacket team that hasn’t finished higher than sixth since a runner-up finish in 2015, but having a scorer like junior guard Matt Popeck (16.7 ppg) will ease the transition.
BETHANY (5-20, 4-12 PAC)
Only two years removed from a second-place finish, the Bison fell to last place a year ago, but they welcome back all five starters this year, including junior guard Trey Shifflett (15.3 ppg).
