“
Dear BRAA Members,
We have been focused recently on the Blue Raiders’ remarkable run as Conference USA regular and tournament champions, notching 30 wins and reaching the second round of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. As such, not wanting to distract, I waited until the end of their run before sending this note to you about our men’s basketball program.
Nick McDevitt and I are engaged daily on the men’s basketball program and how we can push it to greater heights. Everyone involved in the program is disappointed in our final results this season including myself, the University administration, the coaching staff, and the players. Despite high expectations, we certainly did not perform to our aspirations. Our team changed abruptly when we lost our preseason all-CUSA point guard Cam Weston to a torn ACL. Then, a few weeks later, we lost another member in our top-eight rotation, center Josh Ogundele, to a knee injury. These injuries caused a significant number of players to change their roles mid-season.
These adjustments took longer than anyone would have liked. But, by February, we were among the top tier of teams in our conference. However, our inconsistencies and depth issues were still on display in the conference tournament. We played an excellent game to beat LA Tech which had the highest NET rating in the conference. In the semifinals, we had a very disappointing result versus Western Kentucky and did not play championship-level basketball.
I am excited about next year under Coach McDevitt and his staff. I have reviewed, and I am enthusiastic about our coach’s plan for improvement. We have a strong nucleus of players returning, a good recruiting plan with a mix of JUCO, transfers, and high school student-athletes to shore up our weaknesses. This staff is keenly aware of our needs, and this familiarity gives us the best chance to fix our deficiencies. This offseason is key to establishing the foundation for the results we all desire next season.
We saw some very good things in a season that delivered below our expectations. We can build on the fact our team showed dramatic improvement, fought through adversity and several players showed tremendous individual improvement. I invite everyone to get behind Nick and this staff during this recruiting period to establish the foundation for an outstanding year.
Thank you for your support of our men’s basketball program. We appreciate all you do!
Go Blue Raiders!
Chris Massaro
Director of Athletics”
Dear BRAA Members,
We have been focused recently on the Blue Raiders’ remarkable run as Conference USA regular and tournament champions, notching 30 wins and reaching the second round of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. As such, not wanting to distract, I waited until the end of their run before sending this note to you about our men’s basketball program.
Nick McDevitt and I are engaged daily on the men’s basketball program and how we can push it to greater heights. Everyone involved in the program is disappointed in our final results this season including myself, the University administration, the coaching staff, and the players. Despite high expectations, we certainly did not perform to our aspirations. Our team changed abruptly when we lost our preseason all-CUSA point guard Cam Weston to a torn ACL. Then, a few weeks later, we lost another member in our top-eight rotation, center Josh Ogundele, to a knee injury. These injuries caused a significant number of players to change their roles mid-season.
These adjustments took longer than anyone would have liked. But, by February, we were among the top tier of teams in our conference. However, our inconsistencies and depth issues were still on display in the conference tournament. We played an excellent game to beat LA Tech which had the highest NET rating in the conference. In the semifinals, we had a very disappointing result versus Western Kentucky and did not play championship-level basketball.
I am excited about next year under Coach McDevitt and his staff. I have reviewed, and I am enthusiastic about our coach’s plan for improvement. We have a strong nucleus of players returning, a good recruiting plan with a mix of JUCO, transfers, and high school student-athletes to shore up our weaknesses. This staff is keenly aware of our needs, and this familiarity gives us the best chance to fix our deficiencies. This offseason is key to establishing the foundation for the results we all desire next season.
We saw some very good things in a season that delivered below our expectations. We can build on the fact our team showed dramatic improvement, fought through adversity and several players showed tremendous individual improvement. I invite everyone to get behind Nick and this staff during this recruiting period to establish the foundation for an outstanding year.
Thank you for your support of our men’s basketball program. We appreciate all you do!
Go Blue Raiders!
Chris Massaro
Director of Athletics”