Kean Men’s basketball sees bright future with new coach

Adam Hutchinson had little time getting the Kean Men’s basketball program together in his first season.

Hired in October as the 19th head coach in the program’s history, Hutchinson needed to quickly adapt to the university.

“It has been enjoyable, it’s been a whirlwind,” Hutchinson said. “More than good or bad, it has just been really busy.”

Born and raised in New Jersey, Hutchinson spent 14 years as the head coach at Washington and Lee University in Virginia. Last year, he returned to his alma mater, Amherst College, as an assistant coach where he played from 1989-1993.

Hutchinson credited Matt McDuffie, assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, for running the off season and bringing players to Kean while the program was in the process of hiring him.

“Matt did a tremendous job completing that recruiting assignment,” Hutchinson said. “It was hard to do. He brought in multiple players with bright futures.”

Although the Cougars are 7-17 on the year and 5-12 in conference play, senior Micah Kerr has been a dominating force on the court. Averaging 16.1 points per game and ranking sixth in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), Kerr attributes his outstanding season to his teammates and acknowledges them for putting him in the right spots to succeed.

Senior Micah Kerr boxes out for a rebound. Photo Courtesy of Larry Levanti.

“They understand that I have the advantage on a lot of people who guard me so we try and take advantage of that,” Kerr said.

The 6’5” forward earned honorable mention for Division II-III by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association and NJAC player of the week for Jan. 21-27.

“Micah’s a player,” Hutchinson said. “He can post, he can run, and he can shoot.”

On Jan. 26, he dropped a career-high 42 points against Rutgers-Camden. It’s the most points in a game by an NJAC player this season. Two days later against Montclair State, Kerr became the 33rd player in Kean history to record 1,000 career points.

“If you told me as a freshman that I’d score 1,000 points I probably would’ve laughed,” Kerr said. “It’s an unreal feeling.”

Freshman point guard Jailen Jamison is leading almost every stat category for freshmen in the NJAC. He also ranks fifth in assists for all players in the conference.

“All of the hard work is paying off and I couldn’t have done it without great coaching and my teammates believing in me,” Jamison said.

Freshman Jailen Jamison dribbles the ball up the court. Photo Courtesy of Larry Levanti.

Jamison has averaged 16 points per game since Jan. 12 and been named NJAC Rookie of the Week seven times this season.

“I honestly had a lot of fun out there and it was a great learning experience,” Jamison said. “At the same time, I felt like I got to prove that I belonged on the court.”

Hutchinson is impressed by how quickly Jamison learns on the court, taking ideas and schemes a step further.

“Juju [Jailen] sees stuff before it happens,” Hutchinson said. “He’s able to retain something you tell him and execute it at game speed. He’s getting a lot of well-deserved recognition.”

The team has also received contributions from the rest of their freshman group. Along with Jamison, Jared Latane, Nate Lyles, and Kendall Blount have accounted for over 50 percent of the team’s scoring.

Hutchinson is excited to be working with these guys for the next three years.

“I think Nate Lyles is a tremendous player,” Hutchinson said. “I think Kendall has a bright future.”