Saint Joe’s Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Hawks

Key players for the Hawks in 2018-2019

Charlie Brown + Lamarr Kimble: This pair could be one of the deadliest duos the A10 has to offer if they can stay on the floor. Both were picked by the A10 head coaches in their annual preseason poll to end up third team all-conference. Before sitting out for the entirety of last season due to a wrist injury, Brown was one of the most promising freshmen in the conference. Averaging 12.8 points and 5 rebounds per game, he topped double figures in 25 out of 31 games and shot over 38% from deep. Now two years older with a season of experience under his belt, he may be rusty in the early goings but should return to stardom before long.

Kimble, a 6’0″ guard that started 24 games as a sophomore and averaged 15.5 points, only made one appearance last season before needing surgery on his foot. He was also effective on the glass and in the passing lanes with over 4 rebounds and assists per game. One area in which he has room to improve is his field goal shooting – despite being an effective three-point shooter at 34.3% for his career, he’s only at 37.6% from the field overall. If he can be smarter this season with his shot-selection, that third team all-conference pick will look like an under-estimation.

Taylor Funk: After Kimble and Brown went down last season, Funk rose to the occasion and quickly established himself as the team’s third option behind Newkirk and Demery. The 6’9″ freshman was a sniper from range (39.4% for the season) and averaged 11.8 points and 4.9 boards per game. Expect him to play a similar role this year, and maybe for him to even be the Hawks’ best player in the early goings as Kimble and Brown get back to speed.

Others to watch (with 2017-18 statistics)

Chris Clover (as a Junior): 8.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists

Pierfrancesco Oliva (as a Sophomore): 6.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.0 assist

Anthony Longpre (as a Freshman): 4.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists