NCAA Basketball: Top 25 early winners from 2023 offseason moves
By Joey Loose
23. Saint Joseph’s
If you’re at Saint Joseph’s, it’s hard to get too excited about the state of this basketball program. Last year’s 16-17 finish was actually a big step forward and the latest of five straight seasons below .500. In fact, the Hawks haven’t been above .500 since 2016 and have been an afterthought in the A-10 for just as long. Things could change next season, Billy Lange’s fifth as head coach of this program.
The reason that we’re lauding Saint Joseph’s is that the Hawks are managing to bring back virtually their entire lineup from last season. There’s still the potential to add a piece down the line, but they’ll get every major contributor back next season, including sophomore guards Erik Reynolds II (19.6 ppg) and Lynn Greer (12.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg). Reynolds was a highly-touted recruit who’s turned into a star already for the Hawks while other young pieces will get a chance to develop and take steps forward next year.
The Hawks should be a contender in the A-10 next season. In this era of the Transfer Portal, it’s almost shocking to see a team stay in this good of shape, losing just a single player who barely saw the court last season. While you can be dissuaded by Saint Joseph’s’ poor record in recent years, there’s legitimate talent in this lineup and this team has a shot to get back into prominence.