The Stockton men's basketball team will be a perimeter-oriented and veteran squad this year. The Ospreys were picked in a tie for first with New Jersey City in the NJAC preseason coaches poll. Stockton, which fell to NJCU on a buzzer beater in the NJAC championship last year, will be seeking a third straight berth in the NJAC title game.
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Head coach
Scott Bittner has a deep and experienced roster with four seniors and 10 juniors, including three NJAC All-Conference selections from the COVID-shortened Spring 2021 season. The Ospreys return players who accounted for 76 percent of their scoring and 74 percent of their rebounding last spring and also add two more who played at least 24 games in 2019-20.
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Leading the way will be two-time NJAC All-Conference junior
DJ Campbell. Campbell led the team and finished fourth in the NJAC in scoring (13.8 ppg) while shooting 74.1 percent from the free throw line in the spring. He also ranked eighth in the conference in assists (2.7 apg) and grabbed 3.8 rebounds per game.
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Seniors
Kyion Flanders,
Luciano Lubrano and
Kadian Dawkins will keep teams on the defensive. Flanders, an NJAC Second Team selection last year, led the team in steals (2.1 spg; T-3rd in NJAC) and assists (3.3 apg; 4th in NJAC) while also averaging 9.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
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Lubrano, an NJAC First Team honoree in Spring 2021, had a tremendous junior year in which he established himself as one of the top shooters in the league. Lubrano led the NJAC in three-pointers per game (2.8) while shooting a torrid 46.3 percent from behind the arc to top the conference.
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Dawkins provides steady play at point guard with scoring, passing and tough defense. His ability to penetrate into the lane and get to the rim is now complemented by an improved perimeter shot. In three games played last spring, Dawkins shot 47.1 percent from the field (8-17), including 3-4 (75%) from three-point range.
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Sophomore
Jamar Johnson returns to back up Dawkins at point guard after averaging 15.0 minutes per game and dishing 16 assists while playing in all nine games off the bench as a rookie. Sophomore transfer
James Paul (Monroe College), one of two newcomers on the roster, adds to Stockton's depth at point guard.
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Junior
Milo De Los Santos gives Stockton another weapon on the perimeter. De Los Santos shot 42.9 percent (6-14) from outside the arc in the spring. Juniors
Amir Landrum,
John Georgiou and
Tim Petersen add to the list of returnees in the backcourt while
Jordan Heck has rejoined the team after taking the spring off.
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Up front, the Ospreys will be bolstered by the return of
Jordan Williams and
Jonathan Azoroh, who both sat out last spring. In the 2019-20 season, Williams played in 26 games as a freshman, pulling down 4.9 rebounds per game, shooting 48.5 percent from the field and providing a presence underneath.
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Azoroh saw action in 24 games off the bench in 2019-20, and he provides some athleticism in the front court along with an ability to crash the boards. 6-7 junior
Nick Duncsak came into his own last season, starting all nine games and shooting 52.4 percent from the field including 6-18 (.333) from the three-point line.
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There will be plenty of additional size coming off the bench for Bittner. Junior
Alan Glover gives the Ospreys a presence in the paint. Last year, Glover showed an ability to score from the low block, shooting 52.9 percent while also grabbing 4.1 rebounds per game.
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Sophomores
Jaylen Newton and
Nick Pellegrini will look to continue improving in their second season. Junior transfer
Nick Navarro is a newcomer who brings two years of college experience from Bergen Community College, where he averaged 10.8 points and 5.1 rebounds in 54 games.
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