Heading into the 2013-2014 season, head coach Bill Nelson is marking his 28th season with the Jays. Also returning for the Jays are three All-Centennial Conference selections, three previous starters, and an overall veteran lineup. All told, the team boasts a strong collection of veteran experience and younger players as the Jays look to improve from a 16-10 record last season, which saw the squad finish third in the Centennial Conference Tournament.
The group will be led by their three senior captains Daniel Corbett, Connor McIntyre, and Aleksandar Nikolic.
Coach Nelson has brought in three freshmen for the 2013-2014 season with guard Nikhil Panu, forward Ryan Curran, and forward Max McKee.
Although the Jays are bringing in some freshmen talent, the Jays are anything but inexperienced. Five of Coach Nelson’s returns combine for a total of 159 starts in the past three seasons. Most notably is junior forward George Bugarinovic.
Bugarinovic has started 50 games in his first two seasons and led the team last season in rebounds, field goal, and free throws made. In just two seasons, Bugarinovic is already tied for 20th in Hopkins history for most offensive rebounds and 10th for most double-doubles.
Coach Nelson has more depth than he has had in the past seasons, and although this is a tremendous advantage, Nelson might have difficulty deciding which five should be on the court. Nelson does not have a lot of time to figure out his rotation, for the Jays will have a difficult start to the season. Eight of the Jays’s first 10 games will be against teams with winning records from their previous seasons.
Looking at each position on the court, Coach Nelson has great depth in each spot, starting with point guard. As a 2012 Honorable Mention All-Centennial Conference pick, Corbett returns as the floor general after a knee injury caused him to miss 10 games last season. Corbett has 43 career starts and shot an incredible 35.5 percent from behind the arc last season. Coming off the bench in the backcourt will be sophomore guard Austin Vasiliadis. Playing 20 games in his freshman season, Vasiliadis has adequate experience to fill-in in the backcourt this season.
On the perimeter, the Jays will have Junior Jimmy Hammer who earned an Honorable Mention All-Conference honor in his first career starting season with Hopkins. Hammer shot an impressive 40.5 percent from the field, and an unbelievable 45.5 percent from behind the arc. With this incredible percentage, Hammer led the Centennial Conference in three-point field goals and three-point field goal percentage.
Behind Hammer is sophomore guard Gene Williams who also has an impressive three-point shot. With Hammer and Williams on the court together, it would provide the Jays with an easy perimeter opportunity off of a weakened defensive team.
Junior Luke Chambers can expect to see the court more this season being 6’5” with an excellent mid-range game. Chambers helps spread the defense and allow Hammer more space behind the arc. Chambers is also one of the best offensive rebounders on the team behind Bugarinovic. Along with Chambers, sophomore Niko Kotoulas is a great versatile player and can do as much damage from 20 feet as he can in the paint. After missing 18 games last season due to injury, Kotoulas is back and ready to pick up where he left off. With limited play last season, Kotoulas shot a notable 61.5 percent from the field.
In the post, Coach Nelson has returned starter McIntyre after he missed seven games last season due to injury. Despite missing time due to a shoulder injury, McIntyre still ranked third in the conference for blocked shots and shot a remarkable 51.6 percent from the field.
Center Nikolic is a dominant presence in the low post but also has an excellent mid-range game shooting 52.4 percent from the field. Nikolic’s versatility will help stretch the opposing defense and allow for a solid high-low game throughout the season.
The Jays have a lot of work to do before they can prove their dominance in the Centennial Conference and improve their 16-10 record. With the leadership behind the senior captains and the impeccable coaching of Bill Nelson, the Jays appear to have a long and successful season ahead of them.
