Dunne’s quiet confidence trickles down to Marist, fuels Foxes’ 6-2 start

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. — To know John Dunne is to understand the subtle hints with which he expresses himself.

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference’s elder statesman among its head coaches, with 20 combined seasons between Saint Peter’s and Marist, Dunne reveals his hands more covertly than some of his counterparts. Never one to mince words, you can usually get a feel for his teams by listening to his inflection or studying his body language.

Going into the preseason, Marist was picked fifth in the MAAC coaches’ poll. After speaking with the veteran tactician, it did not take long to sense that that speculation may have erred largely on the side of caution. The Red Foxes’ 6-2 start, with the backcourt of Jadin Collins-Roberts, Elijah Lewis and Justin Menard, is a major reason why.

“I would say Jadin Collins-Roberts has been one of the most mature players I’ve ever coached,” a proud Dunne remarked after Marist defeated Manhattan Sunday to earn its second conference victory. “From day one in summer school going into his freshman year, I knew we had someone special, man, not just as a player, but a person and a guy you want to build your program around. He’s done that and more for us, and Jaden Daughtry’s really grown, man. His passion fires not just the team, but the whole arena up he’s the heart and soul. Everything about him, we love.”

Collins-Roberts’ older, patient hand has helped develop the floor game of Menard — who transferred from Iona — in lockstep with Lewis’ knack for scoring helping benefit the fourth Marist guard, Division II transfer Rhyjon Blackwell. Menard was the beneficiary again Sunday, racking up 11 assists and demonstrating the complementary parts of his game that attracted Dunne to the Connecticut native when he entered the transfer portal in the offseason.

“With Justin, he’s another guy where his strength is his weakness,” Dunne shared. “He’s a high-energy player, his energy level is through the roof. Sometimes he just goes too fast, but at the same time, he’s really mentally tough. But how about him with the assists? He’s got great vision, he creates so many of those paint buckets for us. He just needs to stay confident.”

The coach’s quiet confidence has rubbed off on some of his bench players, however. In addition to Blackwell, who poured in 17 points in a reserve role, backup forward Tarik Watson tallied 13 points as the Marist interior wore Manhattan down in the second half. Watson, who missed time earlier in the year and in the offseason with a patella tendon injury, has blossomed into an X-factor, as has Jason Schofield, an incumbent big man with a more integral role this year.

“I think me and Jason are a great combo,” Watson said. “We both can go out there and do our thing and score, and we impact the game really well. Coach is always on me about bringing my physicality into games, it’s one of the things he likes most about my game. So every time I’m out there, I just try to bring that toughness and physicality. I think our team is very deep. That’s another aspect of our team that I feel like is going to help us a lot in the long run.”

“I was really happy for Tarik,” Dunne proclaimed. “He’s kind of struggled staying healthy, and I think he showed a glimpse of what he could become if given the opportunity. I think he’s got — I’m not saying this particular year, but he’s got all-league type potential as his career goes on. And Schofield, honestly, he was out for seven months. He didn’t do anything for seven months. He’s still finding his way, so both of those guys are still kind of wiping off the cobwebs, so to speak. I think down the road, as the season goes on, both of those guys have a chance to be a good two-headed monster. Then you throw Parby Kabamba down there a bit, an undersized five who can make a three and is strong, and Jordan Gabriel, man — against Xavier, he did some nice things for us. He’s had some nice moments, so he’s just gotta stay with it. Hopefully, we have a team where guys will just stay ready.”

Lewis, who led the Red Foxes with 22 points in Sunday’s win, intimated that Dunne had harped on the importance of a weekend sweep to raise the confidence of the team as it concluded its homestand. With just a pair of close losses to Xavier and Harvard, the canvas is still blank in some corners, but the preliminary artwork is nothing to scoff at.

“To be 2-0 after two really tough opponents, we’re very, very pleased,” Dunne said. “We’ve got a long way to go before we’re a finished product, but I like where we’re at right now. The addition of Menard and Blackwell, both with their mental toughness, to go with Elijah, our guards are good. I think we’ve got a little more depth, we’ve got a little more playmaking this year. We’re still a long way away from where we need to be, but I’ll take those guards, along with JCR. Those guys are pretty good. We’re just kind of mixing in some pieces off the bench.”

“I definitely see some growth,” Lewis echoed. “We have guys like Rhyjon who comes in and hits big shots, Justin’s a big scorer. If anything, our offense improved. Josh is a great scorer, but we have some big offensive players that can come in and hit shots. I think this was a big three weeks for us. Just growing closer as a team, the one loss we had was a tough one, but we just decided to keep our heads up through every practice, through every game. If we win, we’re happy we won, but we gotta focus on the next one.”