BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College men's basketball team with all five starters returning from last season's Landmark Conference Championship and NCAA Division III Tournament squad is set to tip-off the 2018-19 season on Thursday, November 8 when the Greyhounds host No. 15 Johns Hopkins University in Johnston Hall at 7:00 p.m.
Fourth-year Head Coach Justin Potts welcomes back a total of 12 players on the 15-player roster that was 20-8 last winter, a school-record for wins. The Hounds also set school marks in points with 2,385, field goals with 825, three-pointers with 322, assists with 455, blocked shots with 111 and steals with 317 a year ago.
Senior guard Jimmy Murray was the team's leading scorer at 17.3 points per game, and he also had 65 three-pointers, 63 rebounds, 58 assists and 43 steals. Murray was named to the D3hoops.com All-Mid-Atlantic Region Second Team, and he also made the Landmark All-Conference First Team along with senior forward Oneil Holder. Holder netted 17.0 points per contest a year ago while leading the squad on the boards at 7.6 rebounds per outing. Holder also led the squad with 38 blocked shots to go with 45 assists, 41 steals and 19 three-pointers. Murray enters the year with 1,134 career points while Holder has 1,123 career points.
Junior guard C.J. Barnes averaged 10.9 points and 3.5 rebounds per game with 31 steals, 47 three-pointers, 13 assists and nine blocked shots a year ago while senior guard Nicholas Casazza netted 9.9 points per contest while netting a school record 72 three-pointers to go with 57 rebounds, 42 assists against just 22 turnovers and 41 steals. Junior guard Elijah Davis averaged 7.0 points per game last winter with 65 rebounds, 34 three-pointers, 32 steals and 30 assists while senior guard Will Brazukas had a team-high 103 assists against just 55 turnovers to go with 52 rebounds, 24 steals, 10 three-pointers and 4.8 points per game.
Junior guard Mike Martino had 85 assists against just 23 turnovers last season, and he added 80 points, 63 rebounds, 28 steals and 14 three-pointers while junior forward Addis Ralph averaged 3.8 points and 2.4 rebounds per game with 25 blocked shots. Sophomore guard Matt O'Connor contributed 57 points, 18 steals, 12 three-pointers and 10 assists in his debut season while sophomore guard Keith Otto had 40 points and 15 rebounds and sophomore guard Shon Wilson contributed 32 points, 10 rebounds and 10 steals. The Greyhounds will also return junior forward John Hargraves, who missed the entire 2017-18 season with an injury after 110 points, 62 rebounds and 13 blocked shots in 2016-17.
A preseason video including interviews with Potts, Holder and Brazukas is below.
