SALEM — When Salem State men’s basketball coach Chris Harvey reflects on last season, there’s plenty that makes him proud.
The Vikings went undefeated in the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC), peaked into the national Division III rankings and finished the season with 22 wins.
But with six seniors from last year’s roster having graduated, this season’s team has turned the page on 2017-2018 and is looking to form its own identity.
“Last year we were undefeated in MASCAC play and then we got upset in the conference semifinals,” Harvey, in his 12th season at Salem State, said. “We were nationally ranked and regionally ranked almost all year. We graduated six seniors. The approach this year is the same. It’s to mold a young team to come together, get everybody to buy into what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to compete for a league title and take it from there. It’s challenging but we’re trying to mold seven or eight new faces.”
Through the first six games of this season, the Vikings are 2-4. Wins over UMass Dartmouth and Mt. St. Vincent were sandwiched between defeats to Keene State, Williams, Gordon and Bates.
“I think we’re gelling,” Harvey said. “We’re starting to develop some chemistry. We’re starting to get a good sense of rotation. There’s a sense of trust as we’re sharing the ball. The guys are working hard. It’s a matter of getting that level of effort to meet the execution. We’re engaged in the moment but I think the inexperience and inability to execute at times is what we’re lacking right now.”
Salem State’s offense has shown signs of progress. Junior guard Sean Bryan’s averaging 24.7 points per game and leads the team in scoring. Junior Hakeem Animashaun (15.8 ppg) and seniors Bryan Martinez (11.2 ppg) and Tyreik McCauley (10.7 ppg) have also helped Salem State put the ball in the net. Freshman Chris MacDonald (5.0 ppg), a Malden Catholic graduate, has shown promise.
“It starts with Sean Bryan,” Harvey said. “He’s averaging over 20 points a game. To me, he’s the best player in the league and he could be one of the best players in New England as he continues to develop. We’re still putting the ball in the basket at a decent rate. We have a couple kids with experience at key positions with Sean and Hakeem. We have a chance to have a good inside-out game and we have kids who can shoot the basketball.”
Defensively, the Vikings have work to do. Opponents are scoring 90.2 points per game through the first six contests.
“We’re still trying to identify who we are,” Harvey said. “I think defense is always the last to come around. After our first few games I think the offense is coming around. The defense has a long, long way to go if we want to have any chance at being a league champion.”
This year’s roster features a handful of local names. Martinez is a Salem native, while Peabody’s Matt D’Amato (sophomore guard), Revere’s Gerald Jean-Charles (sophomore guard/forward), Gloucester’s Evan Mason (sophomore guard) and Malden’s Fern Berard (freshman guard/forward) round out a promising North Shore core.
Harvey said he makes it a priority to recruit homegrown players and create a solid presence in the area.
“I think it’s important. You want to have a presence in the North Shore and provide these kids with a viable option to come to college,” Harvey said. “We want to keep the homegrown guys close. Financially it might make sense for these kids to take a strong look at Salem State. We try to identify the kids that want to stay local and have their family support behind them. That’s something we take very seriously.”
Harvey feels the MASCAC will be competitive this winter. The Vikings have stacked their non-conference schedule with top-notch opponents in hopes of preparing themselves for conference play.
“This could be year where there’s going to be a bit more parity in the league,” Harvey said. “Over the last few years we’ve all graduated some good players. I’ve always believed it’s a race to 10 wins. If you can get to 10-2 you have a good chance at winning.
“I think we stack up well,” he continued. “For sure the challenge for us as a young team is navigating the brutal non-conference schedule we’ve put together. If we can navigate that with some success, I think we’ve be in better position to compete when get into league play.”
