SALEM — It’s been a tough start for the Salem State men’s basketball team thus far. Through five non-conference games, the Vikings are 1-4 with a pair of losses by single-digit margins.
But Salem State, aiming for a third consecutive MASCAC Tournament crown, has high expectations this season and the Vikings believe they’ll find the right blend.
“This isn’t the start anybody wanted or expected but the guys are working hard,” Vikings coach Chris Harvey, in his 13th season, said. “It’s a good locker room. We’re seeing where we can make adjustments in how teams are playing us and how we can capitalize on our different skill sets. Defensively, we’re nowhere near where we need to be. That starts with me. But I see progression.”
The Vikings are led by senior guard Sean Bryan, a Lowell native who eclipsed the 1,000-point mark last season. Bryan’s averaging 23.6 points and eight rebounds per game this year.
“Sean has an outside shot at 2,000 career points,” Harvey said. “He has to have pretty much the same year he had last year in offensive production. We’re trying to get him off the ball a little bit more so he doesn’t have to initiate everything. Teams have keyed in on that. We ask him to do a lot. We ask him to rebound, score and play decent defense.”
Senior forward Hakeem Animashaun commands the post. A Dedham native, Animashaun’s averaging 23.2 points and 12.0 rebounds per contest.
“Hakeem’s an inside threat,” Harvey said. “He’s developed a little face-up game from 15 to 17 feet that he’s trying to use. He developed some muscle over the offseason. He’s trying to get to 1,000 points this year. He really gives us a 1-2 punch but we’re looking for that third guy to step up.”
Animashaun and Bryan are the lone seniors on Salem State’s roster but the Vikings have plenty of returners in the mix. Malden Catholic’s Chris MacDonald, a sophomore guard/forward, is back after logging valuable minutes last winter as a freshman.
“Chris is a guy that we believe can take that next step,” Harvey said. “He knows it. We’ve expressed to him that he needs to be more consistent. He needs to attack the basket a bit more. He’s a great shooter. He has very good length. He’s still trying to develop lateral speed. We have big expectations for him and he knows it. Hopefully he can continue to move forward.”
A pair of locals in Revere’s Mass Joof (junior forward) and Janard Jones (junior guard) are finding their roles in the rotations.
“Mass has been a nice addition in that he’s big,” Harvey said. “He’s got a soft touch around the basket. He’s provided a nice presence off the bench so we can get Hakeem a rest. He has a nice 15 to 17 foot shot right now. Janard’s finding his way. He’s a good shooter. He does well when he knows his role and what he’s trying to do. We’re trying to find that role for him. It’s just being patient right now and figuring out if he can give us something on both ends of the floor.”
Harvey’s confident that things will pick up once the younger guys step into their roles and the Vikings find their No. 3 scorer.
“Our non-conference schedule is brutal and I prefer it that way,” Harvey said. “Right now we’re trying to blend the youth and find consistency in the youth. Sean rolled his ankle in the WPI game (91-50 loss) and tried to gut through it but just couldn’t do it. We’re trying to find some consistency from some of our younger guys in that third spot. We just haven’t had complete games from our younger guys.
“We have the ability to score when healthy. We’re a much better shooting team than the numbers have shown. We’re pretty good when we get out and play fast. Defensively we’re a lot more conservative. We have experience, we have some guys that got a taste of the postseason last year. I think there’s enough talent in the room to compete for a league championship. It’s just putting the pieces together.”
Salem State hosts Gordon in a non-conference battle next Tuesday (7).
