The Towson men’s basketball team went 25-9 overall and 15-3 in the Colonial Athletic Association during the 2021-22 season, but the Tigers fell to Delaware in the CAA tournament semifinals, ending the program’s pursuit of its first NCAA Tournament berth since 1991.
But Towson returns most of its production from last year’s team and is predicted to finish first in the CAA in 2022-23. Pat Skerry, entering his 12th season as the head coach of the Tigers, is 171-142 at Towson since the start of the 2012-13 season.
The Tigers’ top four scorers from a year ago are all back — graduate guard Nicolas Timberlake (14.4 points per game, 40.6 percent from 3-point range last year), redshirt senior guard Cam Holden (13.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists), senior big man Charles Thompson (10.8 points, 6.7 rebounds) and senior guard Jason Gibson (9.8 points, 42.9 percent from deep).
To have such continuity from one year to the next is unusual in the transfer portal era, to say the least.
“I really appreciate that because one, they’re really good guys and they have mutual respect and appreciation for each other,” Skerry said on Glenn Clark Radio Oct. 31. “Two, they’re talented. And then three, I think they really like our program and our university so they’re here for all the right reasons. They want it. They want it bad. That doesn’t guarantee anything, either.”
Towson does lose some production with Terry Nolan Jr., Juwan Gray and Antonio Rizzuto all moving on, but the Tigers have others ready to slide in. Guard Rahdir Hicks averaged 12.7 minutes in 24 games as a freshman last year and appears to be in line for a bigger role this time around.
Graduate transfers Sekou Sylla (Nova Southeastern) and Nygal Russell (Southeast Missouri State) should provide some scoring punch from the perimeter. Sylla earned Division II Player of the Year honors after averaging 22.6 points and 10.5 rebounds last season. Russell is a veteran of the Ohio Valley Conference, playing in 117 games the past four seasons.
All the pieces seem to fit … but as Skerry mentioned, that doesn’t guarantee anything in a one-bid league. Towson rolled to the CAA regular-season title last year, only to lose to Delaware, 69-56, in the CAA semifinals. The Tigers shot 31 percent from the field, Thompson wasn’t quite himself due to an ankle injury suffered in the quarterfinals and that was that.
“I think the excuse is that I didn’t have enough guys ready to go when their number was called that night,” said Skerry, whose team did compete in the NIT. “That’s what you’re trying to demand. We’ve got some guys that we believe in. I think this is the healthiest our roster potentially has been from top to bottom since I’ve been here, but you can’t get everyone in every night. But their number could get called — how do you keep them ready? We’ve got to do a good job with that.”
Towson has plenty of games to play before getting another shot at the CAA tournament title. The Tigers tip off their season at home against UAlbany Nov. 7, then hit the road for their next three games — UMass (Nov. 10), Penn (Nov. 13) and UNC Greensboro (Nov. 17). The nonconference slate is highlighted by a trip to ACC foe Clemson Dec. 7. CAA play gets underway at home on New Year’s Eve against the College of Charleston.
Towson’s veteran leaders can help keep the Tigers focused on the task at hand if they go about it the right way, according to Skerry.
“I think the challenge comes with guys that are talented and competitive and taking on more of a leadership role,” Skerry said. “What does effective winning leadership mean? We’re definitely still a work in progress on that. The intent is really good. I think as a coach now, it’s trying to make sure our behaviors match our intent.
“What I mean by that is are you blocking out properly? Are you huddling guys properly? As an elite player, are you doing what you’re supposed to do before or as you get after a new guy? Because if you get after a new guy, that’s good, but if you’re not doing it at a level that’s consistent to what expectations are, then you’re going to have some bumps in the road.”
See Also: Q&A With Towson Men’s Basketball’s Cam Holden
For more from Skerry, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: ENP Photography