SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Revenge is on the mind of the Skidmore College men's basketball team as it looks to begin the 2018-19 season at home on Saturday. The Thoroughbreds will begin its quest for another Liberty League title and an NCAA Tournament berth against Muhlenberg at the Williamson Sports Center at 4 p.m.
The Thoroughbreds once again made a deep run in the Liberty League Tournament in2017-18, advancing to the championship game, but were unable to clinch an NCAA Tournament berth for the first time in three seasons.
Skidmore returns a solid mix of veterans and adds talented newcomers for the 2018-19 season. Leading the pack is NABC All-American and Liberty League Player of the Year, senior
Edvinas Rupkus. The do-it-all guard led the team in scoring last year with 22.0 points per game, while also leading the team in field goal percentage (.505), free throw percentage (.826), and rebounds (6.5). One of the best scorers in program history, the team co-captain enters his senior season just 34 points shy of the all-time scoring record (1,689).
Rupkus returns with backcourt mate, fellow senior
Chase Ta. The pair has started together in parts of the last three seasons, with Ta earning the starting role full-time last year. Ta, a co-captain, came on strong, leading the team in assists (4.4) and steals (1.5) and leading the league in assist/turnover ratio (2.0).
The other two captains leading the Thoroughbreds are senior center
Charlie Williams and senior guard
Jack Byrne. Williams provided a defensive lift in the paint last season in limited time and earned a few starts last season. Byrne is the team's leading 3-point threat and will look to add onto his 126 made threes in the last two seasons.
Senior forward
Dakpe Yiljep and sophomore guard
Noah Meren return after great first seasons with the Thoroughbreds. Yiljep, a 2017 transfer from Division II Chestnut Hill, showed a penchant for scoring, immediately coming out of the gates with a 25-point performance in last season's opener. He came on strong at the end of the season, averaging 14.4 points per game over the final five games of the season. Meren had a highlight-filled first season with the Thoroughbreds and looks for an encore performance this season. The sophomore lit up the stat sheet last season, averaging 10.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.0 steals per game.
The Thoroughbreds will have a deep team this season, as junior guard
Pat Gallagher, sophomore
Ty Lamport, and forward
Jordan Cole will see major playing time. Gallagher, a 2017 Liberty League All-Rookie selection, was solid off the bench last season, as the high-flyer averaged 5.5 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.
Skidmore brings in a tall freshman class this season, giving a boost to the forward spots. Forwards
Harrison Eichelberger (6-7),
Adam DeFranc (6-5), and
Ryan Murunge (6-8), along with center
Greg Skoric (6-10) will all see ample playing time early and could make an instant impact on what could be a championship contending team.
Skidmore will once again play a challenging schedule this season, facing a pair of ranked teams in Plattsburgh and Middlebury, along with making the team's first-ever trip to Division I Yale University in early January. The 18-game Liberty League schedule will be a grind as always, as the Thoroughbreds look to once again climb atop the league mountain. Skidmore was picked to finish second in the Liberty League in a vote conducted by the league's coaches on Thursday.
