Hamilton College Continentals
2018-2019 Record: 25-5 (7-3 NESCAC), runner-up in NESCAC Tournament; lost in Sweet 16 of NCAA tournament
2019-2020 Projected Record: 23-6 (7-3 NESCAC)
Key Losses: PG Tim Doyle, F Michael Grassey, F Peter Hoffman, C Andrew Groll
Projected Starting Lineup:
F: Kena Gilmour ’20 (19.0 PPG, 5.8 REB/G, 3.1 AST/G)
Where do you start with Kena? The 6’4” senior is the reigning NESCAC Player of the Year who led the Continentals in minutes, points and assists as a junior. He was an efficient player, shooting 47% from the floor, 34% from three and 88% from the free throw line. Gilmour stuffed the stat sheet, leading the Hamilton offense with 19 points per game, grabbing close to 6 rebounds per game and dishing out 92 assists. On defense, he recorded 37 steals and 20 blocked shots over 30 games. He has been a scorer throughout his time at Hamilton and should graduate with close to 2,000 career points. Not surprisingly, Kena received pre-season second team all-American Division III honors after earning fourth team recognition as a junior. Amherst’s Grant Robinson was the only other NESCAC player to receive pre-season honors, earning a fourth team selection. The lefty Gilmour has a very impressive resume, and he should repeat as league POY. As the only returning starter for Hamilton, look for Kena to continue to be a dominant player for the Continentals.
G: Mark Lutz ’20 (6.4. PPG, 1.9 REB/G, 49.2% FG)
Last season, Lutz came off the bench for Hamilton and provided deadly three point shooting. Despite playing a shade under 16 minutes per game as a junior, he took the third most threes per game for the team or about one every 5 minutes on the floor. That approach was a good strategy for Coach Adam Stockwell, as Lutz nailed 48.4% of his three point attempts. Lutz’s height (6’3’’) helps him get good looks at the three point line, and his accuracy adds offensive punch for the Continentals. Entering his senior campaign, Hamilton will again look for his three point prowess to provide valuable spacing for their offense. It will be interesting to see in his final season on the Hill whether Lutz will remain in a specialist role or expand his repertoire.
PG: Sayo Denloye ’20 (5.4 PPG, 2.5 AST/G, 46.3% FG)
Denloye replaces Tim Doyle at the point for Hamilton, and as a junior the California native displayed the consistent ability to breakdown defenses with his quickness. Sano had 24 steals, and he was effective from the three point line hitting just under 43% for the season. As a starting point guard, he will need to improve his free throw shooting, as he shot just 52% from the stripe as a junior. Hamilton will ask Denloye to run the show, which likely means getting the ball to Gilmour in his favorite offensive spots, driving and kicking to Lutz for three, and tossing lobs to Spencer Kendall and Nick Osarenren. If he can do those things, keep up his strong defense, improve at the charity stripe and sprinkle in efficient three point shooting, the Hamilton offense should be in very good shape.
F: Spencer Kendall ’21 (4.6PPG, 3.3 REB/G, 64.1% FG)
If you watch a Hamilton basketball game, there will invariably be a “wow” play during the game in which the 6’5” Kendall elevates and executes an impressive dunk. Spencer has a serious vertical leap, which the Continentals put to good use on the offensive end with lobs to him off backscreens and back cuts. In a reserve role as a sophomore, finishing lobs was his primary offensive role, and Spencer did it well, evidenced by shooting an impressive 64% from the floor. Entering his junior year, Hamilton will look for Kendall to expand his offensive role, to provide strong rebounding (especially with the loss of three of its top four rebounders), as well as to improve at the free throw line, where he shot only 45%.
C: Mike McEneney ’21 (1.7 PPG, 40% FG)
McEneney is one of only two Continentals on the roster over 6’8” and should replace some of the minutes of departing center Andrew Groll at center. Last season, Groll provided stable, consistent play down low: strong defense, physical play in the post, complimentary offensive skills and stout rebounding against taller NESCAC foes. Hamilton will be very happy if Mike fills a similar role in his junior campaign. McEneney, who is listed at 6’9” and 245 lbs., played less last year than other projected starters Lutz, Denloye and Kendall, only logging a shade under 7 minutes per game as a sophomore, so he has less of a track record in league play. Over the course of a game, Coach Stockwell could fill the center role with traditional big men McEneney and 6’8” freshman Patrick Mogan, or sprinkle in a small ball line-up with Kendall and 6’4” Nick Osarenren upfront.
Everything Else
Hamilton has been very successful over the past 2 years, going 49-10 and 14-6 in the NESCAC, but four of last year’s starters graduated last spring, taking with them 319 career starts on the Hill, roughly half of last year’s scoring and 46% of their rebounding. Scanning the New England landscape, it doesn’t appear that any of the other top NESCAC teams are absorbing such significant losses to their starting line-up. Hamilton will need to replace the production of that impressive ’19 class, but Coach Stockwell has built a strong program in Clinton which employed a deep rotation last season. Projected starters Lutz (16 min/G), Denloye (14 min/G) and Kendall (14 min/G) all played meaningful minutes, as did sophomore Nick Osarenren (13 min/G), who flashed terrific defensive skills with impressive length and athleticism. Sophomores Eric Anderson and Elliott Tirabso return, and the incoming freshman class appears strong, highlighted by point guard Nkosi Cooper and center Patrick Mogan. And of course, one of the top players in all of Division III returns to the Hill.
A couple things to watch for the Continentals. As great as Kena Gilmour has been, he has struggled in two spots. Last season Tufts appeared to be his kryptonite – holding him to a combined 13 points on 4-19 shooting in two games (regular season and NESCAC tourney). In two high-stakes losses, the NESCAC tournament final and the NCAA tournament third round game, Gilmour shot a combined 8-37 from the floor. All those games were played at Hamilton’s home, Margaret Bundy Scott Field House. As scary as it is to think Gilmour will continue to elevate his game as a senior, those are areas that I am sure he is looking to improve.
The schedule leans somewhat favorably to Hamilton, as they get league home games against Middlebury, Trinity, Wesleyan and Williams. One key to the season appears to be finding complimentary scoring to Gilmour, as Hoffman and Grassey, who scored close to 1,500 and 1,200 points, respectively over their careers in Clinton, have departed. Two other keys include getting strong post play and finding the right mix on the floor from a deep roster. If Hamilton answers those questions, and odds are they will with an impressive coach Andrew Stockwell at the helm, the Continentals should continue their NESCAC success.