Marist attempts to erase bitter end to last season with more depth and stronger roster

Marist loses Josh Pascarelli, but John Dunne insists Red Foxes will still be a tough out in wide-open MAAC. (Photo by Marist Athletics)

At one point last season, Marist looked like the prohibitive favorite to win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference for the first time since claiming its 2006-07 regular season title. With a record of 20-5, and 13-3 in league play, the Red Foxes had positioned themselves in the proverbial driver’s seat after defeating a Quinnipiac team with whom they had battled for MAAC supremacy throughout the year.

Then, an injury to center Jackson Price changed the trajectory of a promising season, derailing Marist’s momentum. The Red Foxes dropped each of their four remaining regular season contests to drop out of the MAAC lead, and suffered an early exit in the conference tournament at the hands of eventual winner Mount St. Mary’s.

This season, Marist hopes to turn the tide. Dynamic scoring guard and first team all-MAAC selection Josh Pascarelli is gone, having transferred to Colorado State, but the core that remains in Poughkeepsie is still one projected to be forwardly placed in the conference, selected fifth of 13 schools in the preseason poll.

“I think we’ve got a strong team,” head coach John Dunne assessed. “We have a lot of guys returning, we added a couple of nice pieces, so we’re certainly excited to get the year going.”

“There’s always a surprise or two. There’s usually somebody that’s picked at the top that kind of finishes toward the bottom, and somebody at the bottom that’ll usually tend to finish toward the top. We don’t want to be one of those surprises. Clearly, we were picked in the top half and we want to finish in the top half.”

Two players who can help Marist on that front are point guard Jadin Collins-Roberts and Elijah Lewis, who will take on a greater role alongside Collins-Roberts in the absence of Pascarelli. Dunne was high on both his guards, praising Lewis in particular for having a stronger sense of the conference that will help him further adjust to an additional scoring expectation.

“I think they both improved a lot,” Dunne said. “Jadin Collins-Roberts has been in the gym tirelessly just shooting the ball, man. He’s shooting it at a much more confident level now, much more efficient. Elijah Lewis has gotten stronger, I think he’s gonna know what to expect with the physicality now at our level, and I think you’ll see nice jumps with the both of them.”

Dunne made a noteworthy splash in the transfer portal, getting Justin Menard from Iona to help shore up the hole created by Pascarelli’s departure. Menard crossing enemy lines is not uncharted territory for his new coach, however, as Dunne lured Jamel Fields from Fairfield while still the head coach at Saint Peter’s. While Fields sat two years per the conference policy at the time, Menard can ply his wares right away, some of which are similar to the MAAC expatriate to whom he is now linked.

“I think both of those guys have crazy toughness,” Dunne observed. “Jamel was an extremely tough kid, one of the toughest that I’ve ever coached. Obviously playing against Justin, we loved his fiery, competitive nature. He can shoot the ball, (and with) his physical ability, I think he’ll have a little bit of a different role for us. We’re gonna count on him a little bit more than they did at Iona. He was kind of like a forgotten guy off the bench, make a shot here or there. The ball’s gonna be in his hands a little bit more. He’s actually an exceptional passer, we’ve just gotta get him to make the right play. I think he’ll be pretty efficient for us.”

So too will be Rhyjon Blackwell. The six-foot Long Island native was a graduate transfer into the Red Foxes’ program this offseason after spending the previous two seasons at Division II USC-Aiken, and projects to be among the top offensive options for a team that will need to recalibrate its arsenal.

“He’s a spark plug, man,” Dunne said of Blackwell. “Whether we’re starting him or he’s coming off the bench to give us a scoring punch, it really doesn’t matter much. He’s a guy we’re gonna count on to put the ball in the hoop. What I love about him is he’s a fearless scorer and competitor to be able to get to the foul line at his size, but he’s also a willing passer. He and Justin have really brought a lot of intensity to practice to go along with (Collins-Roberts and Daughtry), so our practices have probably been the most competitive since I’ve been the coach at Marist.”

Dunne lamented what ultimately cost Marist a championship down the stretch last season, citing a disadvantage in physicality as a factor, coupled with depth concerns and an inconsistent offense. This year, with a larger and stronger supporting cast, the Red Foxes will be counted out only at one’s own risk.

“Honestly, I think we have a chance to be a more physical team this year,” he said. “Clearly, we want a little bit more depth in scoring the ball. We need the ball to move, make the right play. Last year, we were so heavily reliant on Pascarelli, but this year, we think we can spread the wealth a little bit.”