Returning experience a key for PSF men's hoop squad
Lemont Furnace, PA- There is optimism around the Penn State Fayette men's basketball team, and understandably so. Last season, head coach Andy Hedrick led the team to the Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC) playoffs, and the team has several key players back.
Junior Torian Jenkins (Tinley Park, IL/Naperville North HS) was the PSUAC West Player of the Year last season, junior Si Jones (Fairmont, WV/Fairmont HS) averaged 24 points per game, senior Matt Forbes (Verona, PA/Massabutten Military Academy) started, and sophomore Jahmere Richardson (Uniontown, PA/Uniontown HS) was the sixth man. Two other sophomores, Dylan Holmes (Bentleyville, PA/Bentworth HS) and Deveon Reed (Westmoreland, VA/Westmoreland HS), also return.
Hedrick, now in his third season as head coach, spoke about what the returning players helped do last season, and what lies ahead.
"We were competitive and made the playoffs last year," he said. "We would like to improve upon that and work to be at the top of the league. We want to be in the PSUAC championship game and make the USCAA tournament."
What will it take for the team to have this kind of season?
"I think the key to our team is having a great attitude every day," he said. "We are athletic, so we have to play an up-tempo game. A positive for us has been the offseason. We had a good offseason as we were able to recruit some bigger players to help with the size disadvantage that we had a year ago."
Hedrick brought in four transfers, and the quartet includes Jaheim Hinton (Dimwiddie, VA/Dimwiddie HS) from Mid Atlantic University, Sam Toso (Haymarket, VA Bremtsvile HS) and Sean Cunningham (Bristown, VA/ Brentsville HS) from PSU Berks, and Manny Dotson (Pittsburgh, PA/Nazerth Prep) from PSU New Kensington.
Incoming freshmen include Elijah Manning (Stroudsburg PA), Darius Tigner (Coral Springs, FL West Park HS), Steve Kapp (Lucas, TX Love Joy HS), and Will Powell (Wadrof, MD/McDonough HS).
When asked who the top teams in the PSUAC West are on paper, Hedrick didn't hesitate to answer.
"The top teams in the West should be [Penn State] Greater Allegheny and Mont Alto," he said.
What will contribute to the team having a successful season?
"I think we have a great group of people here who want to do well," Hedrick said. "It is important that we are able to handle anything that comes to us, good or bad, to keep improving so we are a factor at the end of the season."
For more information on the men's basketball team, go to https://www.psfathletics.com/sports/mbkb/index or follow us on Instagram @fayetteathletics.
By: Bill Hughes