Rider begins life without Matt Lopez, but renews faith in its backcourt

Losing Matt Lopez will hurt Rider this season, but Broncs are confident in how they can replace seven-footer while relying on elite backcourt to keep them in contention. (Photo courtesy of Rider University Athletics)

As guard-heavy as the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference can be, and has been for many years, interior presence still makes a huge difference.

Case in point: Rider. Last season, the Broncs were an unlikely success story in the MAAC, rising from a middle-of-the-pack prediction in the preseason poll to finish second in the regular season behind the rock-solid rim protection of first team all-conference center Matt Lopez, the seven-footer who stymied opposing teams when trying to create matchup problems against him.

When Lopez tore his ACL in mid-February and missed the rest of the season, including Rider's postseason run, it gave the Broncs a chance to kick-start the adjustment to life without their game-changer down low. Several months later, the challenge remains daunting, but by no means is it insurmountable.

"Replacing Matt is obviously difficult, especially on our level," head coach Kevin Baggett said on a MAAC coaches' conference call Wednesday morning, "but we've got a couple of post guys, obviously (junior) Xavier Lundy. Kahlil Thomas is back healthy, he was out two months last year with a stress fracture, but he's back to being healthy and he'll be our starting center going forward."

Rider also has a pair of young reserves in sophomore Kenny Grant, who Baggett says is "starting to come along and playing a lot better," and freshman Lacey James, who the fourth-year coach will wean along gradually as the season goes on.

"We're going to have to do it by committee," Baggett said of replacing Lopez and his skill set. We don't have a Matt Lopez this year, and Matt was really good for us, but I think the three guys we do have bring a little different dynamic than Matt did for us. So while we lose some of the things that Matt brought to us, we also gain some of the other things our guys are giving to us."

One aspect of the Broncs' composition without as much upheaval is the backcourt, a three-pronged unit that welcomes Zedric Sadler into the starting lineup alongside a pair of all-MAAC talents in Jimmie Taylor and point guard Teddy Okereafor. Taylor, a former All-Rookie selection, brings underrated consistency into his junior season, while Okereafor had a career year in his return to the floor after transferring from VCU.

"I think I'd put them up there (among the best in the conference)," Baggett said of his guards. "Iona's got a good backcourt, Manhattan's got a good backcourt, (and) I'm a huge fan of Justin Robinson over at Monmouth. But I do like our guards, I like our experience."

Senior Khalil Alford, who was thrust into one of the top reserve roles last season, will likely be the Broncs' sixth man now that Sadler has transitioned into the starting five. Joined by senior wing Shawn Valentine and second-year backups Anthony Durham and Josh Williams, who redshirted his freshman season, Rider not only has the depth needed to maintain any positive momentum, but also has several proven options that can spark the team if necessary, something that Baggett insists will come into play during the early part of the year as Lopez's absence is mitigated.

"Those guys are going to have to be the catalysts of this team," he added. "They're going to have to carry us and lead us. We're happy we do have those guys coming back and the experience that they bring, so if we're going to be good, it's going to start and end with those guys first and foremost."