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SSU MBB takes on Northwestern Ohio (UNOH) in season opener at The Garage in Lima
Posted: Oct 29, 2024

SSU MBB takes on Northwestern Ohio (UNOH) in season opener at The Garage in Lima

With 13 talented and heady players available at its disposal to start the year and a coaching staff fresh off of a 21-win campaign that included a Second Round berth in the NAIA National Tournament, the men's basketball program at Shawnee State will open up its 2024-25 campaign when the Bears face Northwestern Ohio at The Garage in Lima, Ohio Tuesday evening at 6 p.m.

Northwestern Ohio -- Preview

Northwestern Ohio finished 7-21 during the 2023-24 season, but loaded up over the offseason with 6-1 junior transfer Kahlil Davis, who played significant minutes at Cumberlands (Ky.), 6-2 senior transfer Ryan Archey, who transferred from NCAA Division II Mount Olive (N.C.), and four 6-7 JUCO transfers including Antonio King, Caleb Chapman, Marquis Freeman and Malachi Black as well as 6-4 Lakeland Community College transfer Alex Benson.

The Racers are led by second-year head coach Richard Westerlund, who proved to be one of the most successful coaches at the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) level in making back-to-back NCCAA Final Four appearances in his final two seasons at Great Lakes Christian College. Westerlund went 101-60 at Great Lakes Christian, playing schedules that consisted heavily of NAIA programs.

Reviewing Shawnee State

Fresh off a season where Shawnee State finished fifth in the NAIA in three-point field goal percentage (39.8) and 15th in the NAIA in field goal percentage (50.1), the Bears not only return, but bring in, a nucleus of players that are expected to help SSU hit similar marks of efficiency in those areas.

  • Third-Team All-RSC talent Tre Beard was the ONLY player in the NAIA to shoot above 48 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point range and 90 percent from the free throw line.
  • Elkin Ramirez brings back a 39.5 percent stroke from three-point range last season
  • Damon Charles and AJ Belton were productive and played cerebral roles in their efforts, as SSU went 6-1 in the games that Belton started and went 6-2 in the contests that Charles started during the 2023-24 season.
  • Feisal Crumby III will be in his fourth season on the Shawnee State men's basketball squad. In his previous three seasons at SSU, Crumby has played on two NAIA National Tournament teams.

Newcomers

Marcos Vazquez -- No. 2, Jr., 6-0, 195 -- Cleveland, Ohio

  • A crafty and heady player, junior guard Marcos Vazquez brings with him strong credentials from both Lakeland Community College as well as Cuyahoga (Tri-C) Community College. The former Garfield Heights High School grad shot 41.2 percent from three-point range on a NJCAA National Tournament squad at Lakeland in 2021-22, and with Tri-C, averaged fantastic splits of 15.3 points, 7.3 assists and 6.2 rebounds on 48.6 percent shooting from the field and 37.9 percent from three last season en route to all-conference honors.

Chris Tackett -- No. 4, Jr., 6-7, 235 -- Canton, Ohio

  • A player who pops off the page with his listed frame, Chris Tackett is a glass-crasher who looks to dunk anything close to the rim. Tackett averaged 4.5 rebounds per game in 13.3 minutes per game at Lakeland during the 2023-24 campaign. Tackett, who also has the ability to protect the rim as well defensively, averaged 1.3 blocks per outing the season prior with Lakeland in 22 minutes a night.

Donnovan Breech -- No. 5, Fr., 6-3, 160 -- Portsmouth, Ohio

  • A late bloomer who potentially has a high ceiling, Donnovan Breech adds the ability to space the floor with his length and shooting touch. With a full offseason under his belt at Portsmouth prior to the 2023-24 season, Breech blossomed, averaging 13.1 points per game in an enhanced role that ultimately saw the senior earn Second-Team Division III All-Southeast District and Division III Honorable Mention All-Ohio honors.

Donovan Lovelace -- No. 6, Soph., 6-9, 200 -- Dallas, Texas

  • Providing length and a promising frame to build off of, Donovan Lovelace, who prepped at Julius Randle's alma mater, Prestonwood Christian Academy in Dallas, will be in his first season at Shawnee State after transferring from Texas Wesleyan. Lovelace started four games as a freshman during the 2023-24 season, posting 13 rebounds and seven points in his first collegiate start against Oklahoma Panhandle State, a 75-63 win for Texas Wesleyan.

Theo Blackett -- No. 11, Jr., 5-11, 168 -- Toronto, Canada

  •  A strong shooter from the free throw line and a gym rat much like his teammates, Toronto native and NCAA Division II transfer Theo Blackett adds a slick game and needed depth in the backcourt for Shawnee State. In his two seasons at NCAA Division II Concord (W. Va.), Blackett shot 85 percent from the free throw line and 36.4 percent from three-point range -- including marks of 40 percent from three and 88.9 percent from the charity stripe in his final year at Concord.

Preston Saia -- No. 12, Fr., 6-6, 202 -- Merrillville, Ind.

  • A shooter with worlds of potential, 6-6 gunner Preston Saia has a highly-efficient stroke that is expected to help Shawnee State tremendously. Saia, who posted a 3.6 grade-point-average at Merrillville High School, averaged 15 points per game, shot 47 percent from the field and from three-point range and went 80 percent from the free throw line in his final season with the Pirates. In his fourth game with Merrillville last season, Saia hit a school record eight three-pointers in one contest -- and was averaging as high as 51.5 percent from three-point range for the year at one point during his senior campaign.

Amaury Hawes -- No. 22, Fr., 6-1, 167 -- Dayton, Ohio

  • Another guard talent who hails from Dayton Stivers High School in the Metro Dayton area, Amaury Hawes utilized rapid improvement to earn his college basketball opportunity at Shawnee State. Hawes averaged four points per game as a sophomore for Stivers, but tripled that output to 12 points per game as a junior and averaged 4.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists to boot as a junior to nab Second-Team Dayton Public League All-Conference honors. Hawes then improved further as a senior, moving up to a First-Team All-Conference talent after averaging 13.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 2.7 assists on 45 percent shooting from the field and 76.9 percent from the free throw line. Hawes ultimately finished second in the DPL in steals, third in assists, sixth in scoring and field goal percentage and 10th in rebounds.

Additional

Along with the eight players who will play from the jump of the season, freshman Jaleel Edwards will redshirt. Edwards led Beech Grove High School in Beech Grove, Ind. -- just southeast of Downtown Indianapolis -- to a Class 3A State Championship in 2022 and a Class 3A Semi-State appearance in 2023.

Additional hands will be made public by Shawnee State Athletics as they come in.

Live video for Tuesday evening's contest can be found at portal.stretchinternet.com/unoh.