Men’s Basketball Selected to Three-Peat as MASCAC Champions
The Westfield State men’s basketball team enters the 2022-23 season as the favorites to win the MASCAC in the league Preseason Coaches’ Poll as voted on by coaches around the conference.
WESTFIELD, Mass. – The Westfield State men's basketball team enters the 2022-23 season eyeing a three-peat as the Owls were selected as the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference preseason favorites to win the league in the Preseason Coaches' Poll voted on by coaches around the conference.
The Owls received all six first-place votes from opposing teams for a total of 36 points. Westfield finished the 2021-22 campaign at a record of 22-5, which was just one-win shy of tying the all-time win record set by the program in 2012-13. The Owls also collected a share of the MASCAC regular season title after posting a 10-2 record in league action.
Westfield entered the MASCAC tournament as the number one overall seed, defeating Fitchburg State by 22 points in the conference semifinals, then securing their second consecutive MASCAC Championship in an 80-66 victory over Worcester State to reach the NCAA Tournament. The Owls season would come to an end in the first round after losing a hard-fought game to site host Nazareth College, 78-71.
The Owls set multiple school records last season, which included rebounds per game (47.0), rebounding margin (9.6), total assists (474), and assists per game (17.6).
Forward Brendon Hamilton (Worcester, Mass.) returns for his senior year after finishing second in the country in rebounds per game (14.2) en route to setting the program record in total rebounds in a season with 393. He collected 15.0 points per game and led the MASCAC in blocks (57) on his way to the MASCAC Defensive Player of the Year and All-Conference First Team. The senior standout was also selected to D3hoops.com All-Region Second Team and the NABC Division III All-District Team.
Kumar Brown (Enfield, Conn.) joins Hamilton in the frontcourt for another year after generating 8.9 points on 50.3% shooting while tacking on 5.5 rebounds last season.
Westfield also brings back a wealth of talent in the backcourt, with JT Thompson (Columbia, S.C.), Kuany Teng (Manchester, N.H.), Jeremy Remigio (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic), and Gerry McManus (Hudson, Mass.) all back for another season. Thompson and Teng averaged double-digit points per game for the Owls last year and were both in the top three in three-point field goal percentage on the team.
Remigio and McManus served as primary facilitators for an Owls team that scored 83.0 points per game. Remigio led the team in assists per game (4.2) while chipping in 8.2 points. McManus caught fire down the stretch for the Owls, dishing out 4.4 assists over the final 11 games.
Westfield State will begin the 2022-23 regular season against Keene State in the home opener from the Woodward Center in Westfield, Mass. on Tuesday, November 8 at 7:00 P.M.
For full men's basketball preseason rankings, CLICK HERE