The Medgar Evers College men's basketball team will enter the 2022-2023 campaign looking to build upon the positives that the 2021-2022 season produced. Just a year ago, the Cougars earned three CUNYAC postseason awards, with AJ Evans earning Rookie of the Year honors, Mousa Sinera being tabbed a Second Team All-Star, and Keison McIntosh earning the Sportsmanship award. The team also combined for six conference weekly awards, as well. Sinera eclipsed 695 career rebounds (he now has 696 total for his career), and the team earned two very impressive regular season road victories, defeating the No. 1 (John Jay) and 2 (Baruch) seeds from the 2019-2020 CUNYAC Tournament. That victory over the Bearcats ended Baruch's push for an unblemished CUNYAC mark during this 2021-2022 campaign. Medgar Evers' student-athletes also did very well in the classroom, which is always a source of pride for Head Coach Brian Nigro and his staff. When asked about his team's potential this season, Nigro believes experience could be the difference.
"We feel as though we have a very solid combination of experienced veterans and hungry newcomers joining our program, and I believe this team has the potential of putting some pressure on the other CUNYAC schools and earning a playoff spot. In addition to all of the polished returners, we went out and recruited some very talented guards, and some student-athletes who could really be a presence for us in the paint. We believe the chemistry on the team could be the best we've had in years."
Perhaps, the most notable returner for the Cougars will be Sinera. A season ago, the standout took the CUNYAC by storm, as the Bronx, NY native dominated on the glass, leading the conference in rebounding with a total of 296 boards in 22 games, an average of 13.3 per contest. His rebound total was 62 more than the second-highest rebounder in the league. Additionally, Sinera registered 13 double-doubles while averaging 13 points a game. Sinera is also ranked in the top five in NCAA Division III in rebounds per game (13.5), and offensive rebounds per game (5.1).
AJ Evans, who coach Nigro says has taken on more of a leadership role in practice following his first season a year ago, returns to the fray after being selected CUNYAC's top rookie. During the 2021-2022 campaign, Evans earned Rookie of the Week praise four times, scoring 16 points or more in nine games. His 93 assists (3.9 per game) led the Cougars, and he placed second on the squad in points per evening (13.3) and steals per game (2.0).
Another standout returner coming back for the Cougars is Dante Simmons. Simmons, a gritty, tough player on the court, led Medgar Evers a season ago in total steals (52), total blocks (39), and free throw percentage (minimum 50 attempts, 62.8 percent). His defensive prowess was a huge reason why the Cougars were able to pull off some impressive upsets in the second half of the season, and with one season under his belt, it's scary to know that he can be even better during the 2022-2023 campaign.
Dimitri Weeks comes back for his fourth and final season in a Cougars uniform. The speedy, aggressive guard was one of five Medgar Evers players to average double digits in scoring last year (10.4 PPG), and his shooting percentage (41.6 percent) was the second-highest among all Cougars who registered 75 shot attempts or more. Additionally, his defensive tenacity saw him collect 28 steals, good for fourth-best on the squad.
Joshua Jean Pierre will return for his sophomore season after playing in 18 contests a season ago, starting 11 of them. Last season, the George Westinghouse High School product connected on 48.6 percent of his shot attempts (36-for-74), scoring 89 points and snatching 83 rebounds. He also added 13 steals and eight blocks.
Rounding out the returning players who will re-enter the fray looking to play a key role off the bench are junior James Julien, and sophomores Chris Edosomwan and Omar Bassiouni.
Perhaps the primary recruit joining the Cougars this season is 6'6 big man Richar Frias. Frias, who graduated from Broome Street Academy, is a very skilled player who could contribute inside and outside, according to coach Nigro. He has a tremendous understanding of the game of basketball, and brings an uncanny passion for the game.
Brooklyn native Nicolas Bocharov out of Lower East Side High School joins Medgar Evers, and coach Nigro spoke very glowingly about his ability to knock down jumpers from long range. Bocharov is an extremely tough young man, who is also a very skilled ball-handler.
Isaiah Brodie, a 6'6 forward from Queens, NY, brings tremendous length and athleticism to the program. Coach Nigro classified Brodie as a "very skilled offensive player with tremendous upside."
Jacob Green, a freshman out of Energy Tech High School, brings a high IQ with him to the Cougars. Coach Nigro says his greatest strengths are shooting and ball-handling.
Rounding out the newcomers for Medgar Evers are Joshua Figueroa (Lehman High School), Tenzin Dayab (NEST + M High School), and Emmanuel Adenekan (Dewitt Clinton High School).
Medgar Evers' 2022-2023 schedule, in addition to the 14 games against CUNYAC opponents, will feature non-conference home tilts against St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn), SUNY Purchase, SUNY Canton, Pratt Institute, and a game against either Saint John Fisher or Misericordia. The non-conference road clashes include games at SUNY Maritime, SUNY Old Westbury, Lesley University, Dean College, Saint Elizabeth University, and Valley Forge University. The road game against the Terriers of St. Francis (Brooklyn) will serve as an Exhibition and will not count towards Medgar's overall record. When asked which games he may have circled on his calendar, coach Nigro was very forthcoming.
"Our team always looks forward to the two games against Brooklyn College in any season, simply because they're located on Bedford Avenue, we're located on Bedford Avenue. It's the battle of Bedford Avenue. Our guys get really excited and turned up for those games, just as I'm sure the Bulldogs do. Those games are great for Brooklyn, great for CUNY. The game at Valley Forge University will be another solid game, as we lost a close game against them last year, and it seems as though we always play the Patriots in games that come down to the wire, so we've developed a nice non-conference rivalry with them. St. Francis (Brooklyn), even though an Exhibition contest, will be a fun night. Obviously, I have a lot of ties to that institution. The Head Coach of the Terriers, Glen Braccia, is a very good friend of mine. Their team features three Xaverian graduates, and I went to Xaverian and coached there. There's that Brooklyn connection for me, and there's the excitement of playing in another Division I arena for both the student-athletes and myself. The Go 4 the Goal Tournament, which we hold at the Cougars Cave to raise funds for pediatric cancer, is a great event, with all proceeds going to a great foundation. We'll be playing SUNY Canton on the first day, with Saint John Fisher and Misericordia playing in the other contest. Then the consolation and championship games take place the next day. It should be a lot of fun."
When asked to sum up his expectations and goals for the 2022-2023 season, Nigro kept it brief, but with no shortage of determination.
"Our goal is to qualify for the six-team CUNYAC tournament this February," he said. "We feel as though we have a solid crop of returners who can play a major role in helping us accomplish our ultimate goals, and we believe the newcomers will have the ability to adjust to our system of basketball by the second half of the year. No matter how this season transpires, I expect our guys to give max effort on a nightly basis. That will be my expectation of them. There is a real opportunity for us to go out and prove the conference wrong as it pertains to our projection in the CUNYAC Coaches Poll. I think that will serve as a beacon of motivation for our guys, and I'm looking forward to seeing how they respond. We're buckled up and ready to make a name for ourselves."
Courtesy of Medgar Evers Sports Information Director Stephen Spagnoli