SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Fresh off of three straight seasons of 19 or more victories, the Skidmore men's basketball team looks to continue the recent run of success in the 2017-18 season. Skidmore's journey begins on the road, heading to Castleton Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m.
 
The Thoroughbreds come into the season with great expectations after a solid season last year, tying a school-record with 20 wins, winning the Liberty League Regular Season title, and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year, falling in a close battle with eventual National Champion Babson.
 
Four of the five starters from last season return to Saratoga Springs, led by junior guard and D3hoops.com Preseason All-American Edvinas Rupkus. Rupkus, a co-captain, had one of the best offensive seasons in Skidmore history as a sophomore, breaking the school record with 580 points, leading the Liberty League with 20.7 points per game. He was also second in the country in made free throws (181) and 27^th in free throw percentage (.883).
 
He will be flanked by junior guard Jack Byrne and senior guard and co-captain Jack Morrow. Both players were some of the top 3-point threats in the Liberty League, with Morrow shooting at a .395 clip, good for second in the league, and Byrne right behind with a .355 shooting percentage.
 
Chase Ta moves into a bigger role as the lead guard this season. He started 15 games down the stretch for the Thoroughbreds due to injuries, and shone in the role, bumping his scoring average to 9.1 points per game during conference play. He also leads all returners with 31 steals. Sophomore guard Pat Gallagher also played big minutes as a freshman last season, averaging 5.9 points in 18.9 min per game in conference play, earning a spot on the Liberty League All-Rookie Squad. Fellow guards, senior co-captain Benny Louchheim and sophomore Joey Crowley will look to earn minutes with their solid shooting and defensive play.
 
Up front, senior forwards Marcus Jackson and Martin Bedulskij, juniors Charlie Williams and Dakpe Yiljep, and sophomore Jordan Cole look to help the Thoroughbreds on the boards. Jackson and Bedulskij return full time to the rotation after each missing time with injuries. Williams was a solid contributor in his 23 games played, shooting 54.5 percent from the field and grabbing 1.6 rebounds per game. He will join Cole to bring additional length on the defensive end. Yiljep comes to Skidmore after two seasons at Division II Chestnut Hill College and is a two-way player that will stretch the floor with his shooting as well as helping on defense.
 
Freshman guards Noah Meren and Ty Lamport join the Thoroughbreds this season. Meren was a first-team all-state selection from Rhode Island and is an intelligent player on both ends of the floor. He will look to play multiple positions for Skidmore, including at the point. Lamport is a scoring combo guard who tallied a school-record 1,987 points at South Kortright Central, and was one of the nominees for Mr. Basketball in New York last season.