Monmouth Will Look To Mix of Veteran and Youth
MAAC Sports
Monmouth Youth Ready to Step Up
The Monmouth University men’s basketball team enters its first year in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference as one of the younger teams in the league. For head coach King Rice, that means there will be plenty of opportunity for individuals on the roster to step up.
“I’m very excited about this season. We’re going into one of the best conferences in the country, and it’s going to be a big challenge for us,” Rice said recently. “The competition will be very stiff, but we’re starting to grow up to that level.” The Hawks return 6-6 junior guard Drew Nicholas and 6-5 forward Tyrone O’Garro as two of the most seasoned players. Nicholas averaged 13.9 points for Monmouth in 18 games last season before being sidelined by a season ending heel injury. Nicholas, who can stroke the 3-pointer, was a part-time starter as a freshman before moving into the starting lineup last year. He enters his junior season with 498 career points. O’Garro appeared in all 31 games last year as a freshman, the only returning player to do so, and averaged 2.5 points and 3.8 rebounds. Deon Jones, a 6-6 transfer, is a former high school “Player of the Year” from Delaware who already has a year under his belt. The Hawks may be young, but those youngsters do bring a needed ingredient to the roster – there are four freshmen who stand 6-8 or taller.
Monmouth will make four appearances on the ESPN family of networks during the 2013-14 season as part of the MAAC’s television package. The Hawks play their first ever MAAC game on Dec. 5 when they host in-state rival Rider to be broadcast on ESPN3. Monmouth will host Fairfield on Jan. 23 in another game on ESPN3. The Hawks will visit Fairfield on Feb. 7 in a game to be televised on either EPNU or ESPN3. Monmouth will also host another in-state rival, Saint Peter’s, on February 22 on ESPN3.
Paalvast Ready To Lead Hawks’ Veteran and Youth Mix
With just one returning starter on hand from last year’s team, Monmouth University women’s basketball coach Jenny Palmateer will look to a mix of veterans and youth as she prepares the Hawks for their first season in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. “We’ve got a good mix of youth and experience,” Palmateer noted during the preseason. The Hawks have 16 players on their roster, 11 of them listed as either freshmen or sophomores
The Hawks will look to their lone returning starter, senior swing Chevannah Paalvast, for leadership both on and off the court. Paalvast, who hails from New Zealand, is the leading returning scorer (11.0 points) and rebounder (4.9). Paavlast was selected to the preseason All-MAAC third team. “Chevvy took her commitment to a whole new level (during the off-season),” Palmateer said. “This is the first year everyone will be looking to her.” Palmateer will also look to 6-0 senior Shira Shecht, who appeared in 16 games before being sidelined by injury, and 6-4 junior center Sara English, who averaged 4.8 points and 4.4 rebounds while playing just under 15 minutes a game. A pair of 5-7 sophomore guards, Jasmine Walker and Kasey Chambers, both picked up experience as freshmen last year. Sophie Beaudry, a 6-4 freshman center from Quebec, adds to the size up front and has international experience.
The Hawks will face a challenging non-conference slate before they make their debut in the MAAC on Dec. 29, when they host Saint Peter’s. Monmouth will participate in the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Classic, facing St. Bonaventure, Connecticut and Boston University at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn., before playing Bowling Green at the Mass Mutual Center, site of the 2014 MAAC Championship. The Hawks will also host Niagara on Feb. 22, in a game to broadcast on ESPN3 as part of the MAAC’s television package.