First-year head coach Bob Pietrack led last year’s Fort Lewis College men’s basketball team to new heights. The Skyhawks finished the season with the most wins in school history (28), the highest national ranking in school history (4), and delivered some shiny, new Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship hardware to the trophy case outside of the newly renovated Whalen Gymnasium.
However, much of the core from last year’s record-setting team was lost to graduation, and this year’s Skyhawks will have a slew of new faces for the FLC faithful to get acquainted with. Though it might take a bit longer to get the team functioning like last year’s well-oiled FLC machine, the program received its first preseason National Association of Basketball Coaches poll ranking in school history at No. 15. That ranking will be put to the test immediately, as Fort Lewis will open its schedule Friday at West Texas A&M.
“The main thing is we don’t have as many veterans this time around and it’s been a slower process with teaching and breaking stuff down,” Pietrack said. “Last year, we spent 10 weeks in the top 25, so the guys who were here last year are accustomed to it. But this is a whole new group, and we haven’t earned this rank. Last year’s team earned it for us.”
The Skyhawks might be ranked by the NABC, but the coaches slotted FLC second in the preseason poll behind NABC No. 21 Colorado Mines, a team FLC beat three times a year ago.
Fort Lewis lost six players in the offseason, but RMAC opponents will have to deal with senior guard Joshua Blaylock, and the lefty has a sour taste in his mouth after beating the Orediggers in those three matchups a year ago.
“I always have a chip on my shoulder, all the time,” Blaylock said. “We feel like we’re better than that. We beat them three times last year, but we have to go out and prove it. I’m just happy that I have the opportunity to play and happy we’ll get the chance to show people what we’ve got.”
Blaylock is a legitimate All-American candidate. The Preseason RMAC Player of the Year brings so much more than his offensive scoring ability as an elite defender and passer.
“He makes everything so much easier,” transfer guard Daniel Hernandez said. “He creates so much attention. He can drive to the middle and draw four guys on him. Then he can pick who to pass it to, and our deadly shooters can knock down those shots.”
Junior transfer center Brandon Wilson played with Blaylock at Otero Junior College and jumped at the opportunity to play with him again. He said it is the demeanor and fearless play of Blaylock that inspires his teammates.
“He makes everybody better purely from his talent,” Wilson said. “There are times you wish he would be more selfish and score more, but he’s so team-oriented.”
In his first year at FLC, Blaylock led the team in scoring with 18.1 points per game, points scored (579), field goal percentage (.538), field goals made (184), 3-point field goals made (91), steals (30), and minutes played (1,100).
The FLC star is impressed with what he’s seen so far from some of his new teammates and those he’s been reunited with.
“Our coaches did a great job of recruiting out there this year,” Blaylock said. “These guys are athletic, they play defense and we got some guys who can rebound the ball. I think that’s an area where we needed to improve from last year and these guys will help. Last year we meshed pretty well, but I think we have a better team this year.”
When opponents throw the kitchen sink at last year’s RMAC Tournment MVP, Blaylock’s mate in the back court can certainly take care of the offense. Sharp-shooting senior Will Morse is critical to the Skyhawks, not just because of his unlimited range but the intangibles he brings to the court and his ability to take command as the general give Pietrack some much needed stress relief on the bench.
“Will is the most important player on the team,” Pietrack said. “He’s the quarterback of everything. We will go as he goes.”
With Blaylock and Morse running the show in the back court, junior slasher Rasmus Bach gives the Skyhawks versatility all over the floor. Bach’s freakish athleticism allows him to create bad matchups on offense, and he’s a nightmare for opponents on the defensive end.
Though FLC lost six seniors, Bach feels like the lack of experience has been replaced with better athleticism all around.
“It’s going to be interesting because we lost leadership and added a lot of talented guys,” Bach said. “Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re going to be a better team. Everyone has to buy in and learn our new roles.”
The Skyhawks graduated six players from last year’s team, creating holes to fill on the depth chart. Pietrack didn’t just fill those holes with freshmen; he went out and landed skilled junior college transfers and a few freshmen who can contribute right away.
The biggest shoes to fill came at the forward positions. Austin Haldorson and Kody Salcido were adequate last year on the interior defensively, but Skyhawks fans should be excited to monitor the play of big men Riley Farris and Brandon Wilson. Farris was a redshirt player last year who learned from the bigs ahead of him, and Wilson played at Otero Junior College, where he was teammates with Blaylock his freshman season.
Farris and Wilson could both start or provide a nice lift off the bench, giving Pietrack some depth in the post.
“I learned to play hard,” Farris said. “Even if you don’t have the best skill-set, if you play hard you can be effective and help the team win.”
Wilson said he has had a smooth transition joining the team. FLC now has four players from Otero, with senior guard Kain Lucero, junior guard Brandon Book, Blaylock and Wilson, who hopes his experience playing college basketball shines through in conference play.
“Rebounding and toughness inside is what I intent to bring,” Wilson said. “Playing back-to-backs in this conference makes it tough. That’s where experience comes into play.”
Pietrack also has a slew of talented guards to pick from. He brought on Daniel Hernandez from Cochise College as a junior and added talented freshmen Cesar Molina from Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Dontez Thomas from Phoenix. Molina will be a start at point guard for FLC for four years, while Hernandez will bring energy right away. Thomas has huge potential with a frame that suggests he’s still growing.
And learning from players such as Blaylock and Morse is already showing its benefits.
“I’m just like a sponge right now, trying to learn as much as I can every day,” Molina said. “I’m real excited to be part of this winning tradition of the program.”
Hernandez said he is most impressed by the team chemistry so early in camp.
“I’ve been in a couple other programs where somebody wants to be the big shot,” he said. “Here, we share the ball and everyone meshes well together. I think that will translate into a good season.”
Pietrack pointed to talent in every class right now. He is excited about the potential for redshirt sophomores Alex Semadeni at the four-spot and Jalen Terry, who is a big body capable of defending down low and rebounding but also can knock down 3-point shots.
“Although they are sophomores, they’ve been here three years,” Pietrack said. “They’re old faces now, and we’re thankful to have them along with our young faces we’re excited to show off.”
Fans will immediately enjoy a new feel inside Whalen Gymnasium this year. When they look down on Bob Hofman Court, they will do so from new bleachers that will provide a much more comfortable feel. Some seats also include backs for added comfort, and those seats are now available for reservation.
All of the seats are wider to give fans more room. The gym walls also were painted in the offseason, and a beautiful new Skyhawks logo is now proudly displayed on the wall. “The bleachers give it a whole new feel,” Pietrack said. “It’s much more live in here. We’re thankful for those upgrades.”
heraldsports@durangoherald.com
