Kean Men’s Basketball Begins Season in Pursuit of Fresh Start

By Robert Greene | Published by November 18, 2021

Kean Men’s Basketball is seeking an upward trend following a shortened spring season due to COVID-19.

In the spring 2020-21 season, Kean finished 1-6 with a 1-5 conference record and win-less at 0-4 away. The Cougars had a win in their first three games just before falling in the last four after the shutdown, finishing well under .500 yet again.

“Our first goal obviously is to improve,” said second-year assistant coach, Bill Kilduff. “That goes without saying. I mean, over the last x-number of years, the program has not been on an upward swing,” – Second-year Assistant Coach Bill Kilduff.

Kean has not had a season where they have finished over or near .500 since 2013-14.

 Last season, the Cougars were at the bottom of the conference in almost every statistical category.

Getting outscored by opponents in each period, Kean averaged 68.6 points per game while shooting 39.7% from the field and 32.4 from three-point range. Opponents scored 82.9 PPG and shot 46.5%, 32.8 from the outside. The Cougars were outshot in free-throw percentage as well with their opponents shooting 75% from the stripe to Kean’s 71.6%.

Kean was out-numbered in other fundamentals of the stat sheet as well, getting out-rebounded by 10 and allowing the other team to have four more assists.

The Cougars will be led by Seniors: Forward Nate Lyles and Jailen Jamison along with Sophomore Guard JD Daniels.

 Daniels led Kean in the scoring season with 16.9 PPG, averaged 2.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists shooting 40.6% from the field, 35% from deep, and 88% at the line. Daniels had a dominant performance Feb. 20 against The College of New Jersey when he put up 37 points on 13 of 23 shooting, came down with three boards, and had three assists.

Jamison dropped an all-around 25 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, and six steals on an efficient 6-13 against Montclair State on Feb. 12.

 Lyles also had a stellar performance last year against TCNJ when the forward put up 21 points, eight rebounds, and a block with two steals and two assists at their university.

 Lyles has shown a ton of improvement and has seen a rise in efficiency in PPG as well as his shooting percentages. He learned not to take anything for granted.

“Honestly, we are just glad to be back on the court,” Lyles said. “We are trying to take advantage of this year because now we know, anything could happen.”

Lyles acknowledges how the University made changes to the coaching staff last year bringing in Kilduff and Head Coach David Turco to improve the program.

“One of the ways you measure that, obviously, is getting back into the mix to qualify for the conference tournament,” Kilduff said. “I think it’s something that’s attainable.”

Kilduff expressed major confidence in his group. Not just for their ability to qualify for the conference, but the National tournament.

“As a coaching staff, we feel we have a more than a legitimate chance of qualifying for the conference tournament, and then obviously, one of our other goals is the same goal every team across the nation has, which is to qualify for the National tournament,” he said. “If we improve as much as I think we’re going to, I think that’s a reasonable goal.”

Kilduff understands that it is about getting on the court and actually working to get better.

“You have to walk before you can run, so we have to improve, get off to a good start, win some games, we have a lot of new faces,” he said. “We’re hoping this is the beginning of a new era, for lack of a better term.”

The Kean Cougars understand that the quality of play will pick up and it will definitely be much more competitive with acknowledgment of that being Coach Turco’s motto since he began his basketball career.

“He’s won every place he’s been, and we don’t see this as being any different,” Kilduff said.

 Kean tips off their season at home versus Purchase College on Monday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. “Now, it’s time to get the train moving full steam ahead,” Lyles said. “The coaching staff brought in a few new pieces and we have to figure out how to put this puzzle together, but we are going to get it and the next thing is just to leave it all on the court, play with heart.”

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