Amidst numerous questions swirling around the Simon Fraser University men’s basketball team, one rings out as the most important, if not a little obvious.
Who are they?
With seven new players and a new head coach, the 2016-17 edition of the Clan barely resembles last year’s squad. That question of identity is something that the new bench boss, Steve Hanson, is wrestling with.
For the second straight exhibition game, junior transfer Kedar Wright led the team in scoring with 20 points in a 96-53 win over Columbia Bible College on Tuesday. Junior J.J. Prankratz tallied 19 points, Graham Miller had 15 and Othniel Spence added 14 in a balanced attack.
“It’s going to take some work and a few games to see what these guys are together,” said Hanson. “However, I know that we’re going to be small, especially up front. We’re not going to pound it inside, necessarily. What we will do is get up and down the floor quickly, create in transition.”
Among the eight returning Clan members from last season, Pankratz is set to take a large leadership role, both on offense and in the locker room. Named one of three team captains, the 6-foot-7 guard/forward is the Clan’s highest-scoring veteran, as he averaged 9.3 points-per-game.
Dutch guard Hidde Vos will be relied on heavily as a senior, as will red shirt junior guard Andrew Williamson. Bowen Bakken should also see a significant spike in floor time, while redshirt frosh Aleks Vranjes and Miller could see some floor time in their debut seasons.
Up front, sophomore Tyrell Lewin and senior Gibran Sewani should provide most of the Clan’s interior presence. Standing 6-foot-8, Lewin is the tallest player on SFU’s roster.
Hanson is plenty familiar with this group, having served as one of departed coach Virgil Hill’s assistants last season.
“We’ve got a great core of guys from last year,” said Hanson. “They’re talented, they’re smart, and, they’ve got the drive to get better. Not only are they skilled in their own right, but I couldn’t have asked for better people to rebuild this program with.”
As for the newer faces on the Clan, Hanson is adding a lot in terms of backcourt talent. Redshirt freshman Michael Provenzano joins the Clan from Lake Superior State, while Wright brings electric athleticism and a relentless work ethic to the Clan lineup.
Iziah Sherman-Newsome was a late addition to SFU’s recruiting class – with a developing shot and a pro-caliber frame at 6-foot-4 and 220-lbs, the JUCO transfer will be leaned on to create opportunities on the glass and at the net.
All in all, that adds up to some high-flying, edge-of-your-seat basketball.
“SFU hasn’t made the playoffs in six years in the NCAA, and I intend to change that,” said the head coach.
Up next, SFU hosts Quest University 7 p.m. on Saturday in the West Gym.
