The COVID-19 pandemic struck the world shortly after the Skyhawk men’s basketball squad concluded the 2019-20 season, but now, the Skyhawks will return to the court for a modified 2020-21 season.
The Skyhawks are looking to improve from a dreadful 2019-20 campaign that saw UTM go 9-20 overall, finishing third-last in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). Though the coaching staff recruited some solid talent for the upcoming season, some other important players were lost also.
Notably, the presence of guard Derek Hawthorne and forward Quintin Dove will be missed, as both players wrapped up their tenure in orange and blue in 2019-20.
Hawthorne was one of the Skyhawks’ most reliable two-way players, and was one of the three players to play in all 29 games amid an injury-riddled season. Hawthorne ranked fourth in the OVC in minutes played (34 per game) and tenth in scoring (14.2 per game).
Dove was an All-OVC first team player and the only NCAA Division I player to average at least 20 points and seven rebounds per game, per Sports Information.
In addition, other roster pieces such as guard Ja’Darius Harris and Jalen Riley, as well as forwards Miles Thomas and Steve Wooten, Jr. are not present on the 2020-21 roster. However, some promise still remains in the returning roster.
The focal point of the squad in 2019-20, and for this upcoming season as well, returned after withdrawing his name from the 2020 NBA Draft, junior guard Parker Stewart.
Stewart, a preseason All-OVC honoree, was undoubtedly the team’s best player in his debut season with the Skyhawks in 2019-20. The Union City native averaged 19.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game last season, finishing third in the OVC in scoring, seventh in assists and tenth in free throw percentage (76.6%). In addition, Stewart had four games where he put the team on his back by scoring north of 30 points.
Though he didn’t start every game, Stewart was the brightest spot on a roster that struggled their way throughout a long 2019-20 season. However, Stewart wasn’t the only starter to return to the team.
The Skyhawks brought back the European pair of three-point specialist sophomore guard Eman Sertovic and towering senior center Hannes Polla, both of which made their UTM debuts last year.
As a true freshman, Sertovic averaged 4.8 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. Sertovic was effective from beyond the arc, finishing with a 34.7 three-point shooting percentage. In addition, Sertovic was lethal from the charity stripe, sinking 13 of his 14 free throw attempts.
Polla saw limited playing time last season, logging only 169 minutes over 21 appearances. The towering center averaged 2.8 points and 1.2 rebounds per game.
Though many of the 2019-20 Skyhawks didn’t return for this season, Stewart and his coaching staff made some big moves during the offseason and brought in 11 signings to join the 2020-21 campaign.
A plethora of new guards will be joining the fold this season, notably sophomore Eden Holt (great playmaker with efficient ball protection), junior Vinnie Viana (pure scorer), junior Jonte Coleman (three-point sniper) and junior La-Quiem Walker (averaged 15 points 9.3 rebounds per game last year).
Joining Polla at center is freshman Ksuan Casey, who was ranked as the 46th best center in the nation by ESPN coming out of high school, according to Sports Information. On the wing, junior guard Cameron Holden joins the team following a successful 2019-20 season at Gulf Coast State College that was capped off by a Florida state championship.
Despite the offseason additions, the Skyhawks are projected for another dismal finish in 2020-21, with the annual OVC preseason poll ranking UTM third-last, beating out only Southern Illinois – Edwardsville (SIUE) and Southeast Missouri.
According to OVC coaches and media directors, the Skyhawks are looking as if they’re heading into another rebuilding year. While I believe that the Skyhawks are a long shot to make the postseason, I think this will be a valuable year for the team to grow and eventually contend for a conference title.
Note from the author: This article has been updated to reflect the recent passing of head coach Anthony Stewart. My prayers go out to members of the Stewart family and the men’s basketball team.
