CMCC men’s basketball preview

Head coach: Dave Gonyea (23rd year)

Last year: 22-10, 11-2 in YSCC, YSCC tournament runner-up, lost in USCAA tournament first round

Key returners: Rob Skinner (G), Pietro Badallasi (G/F), Jonathan Moore (C), Kaleb Benjamin (G)

Key loss: Carrington Miller

Key newcomers: Josh Cote (G), Cornelius Lawhorn (F), Cam Duncan (F), Akeem Laurie (G)

Outlook: The Mustangs only lose one significant player, in three-year starter Carrington Miller, who was the runner-up for the conference’s most valuable player last year. Still, Gonyea said that’s a significant loss, and the rest of the team will have to combine to fill Miller’s shoes. Skinner and Badalassi are the captains this year. Gonyea called third-year guard Skinner “the gas that makes the engine go.” Gonyea said he’s brought in six newcomers that will step in and contribute immediately. The Mustangs will be pressing for 40 minutes a game this year, and try to “create a lot of chaos on the court.”

Coach’s comment: “(The key will be) bringing the chemistry together. I think filling Carrington’s hole, because that’s going to be a hole. I think this new defensive intensity, defensive style, I think is going to change our whole game. We’re going to be fun to watch, fun to play.”