Season Preview: 2023-24 Men's Basketball

DURANGO, Colo. – A share of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship, winning the RMAC Tournament Championship, ranked second in the South-Central Region, and an appearance in the NCAA Division II National Tournament Round of 32 highlights Fort Lewis College men’s basketball’s 2022-23 season. With a new look and a new expectation, the Skyhawks are searching for all of those and more this upcoming season. 

Looking Back

Last season was a historic year for the Skyhawks men. Fort Lewis claimed a program-best 29 wins, 25 wins through the regular season, posted a 10-1 road record, owned a 5-3 record against nationally ranked opponents, and captured at least a share of the regular season championship as well as the RMAC Tournament Championship for the third time in program history. Additionally, Fort Lewis ranked fifth in average attendance across Division II. 

Guided by Akuel Kot, the fourth-best scorer in Division II and the program’s first two-time All-American, the Skyhawks boasted one of the highest-scoring offenses in the country. Ranking 18th in Division II, Fort Lewis ran up 84.0 points per game while holding opponents to a 73.8 average. Most notably, the Skyhawks also owned the 15th-best turnover margin in the country at 3.7 while shooting at clips of 47.8% from the floor, 37.7% from beyond the arc, and 75.3% at the charity stripe. 

Kot was named Division II Conference Commissioners Association Second Team and National Association of Basketball Coaches First Team All-Americans, First Team All-RMAC, the RMAC Tournament MVP, and appeared on the Bevo Francis Award - presented annually to the player who has had the finest overall season within Small College Basketball – Top 25 watchlist. Head Coach Bob Pietrack was named the NABC South-Central Region Coach of the Year. 

JaQuaylon Mays, who signed a professional summer league contract with Cafeteros Basketball Club, also earned First Team All-RMAC honors. Brenden Boatwright picked up a Second Team All-RMAC nod while Obi Agbim and Scottie Stafford were tabbed with All-RMAC Honorable Mention. Boatwright and Junior Garbrah were also named to the RMAC All-Tournament Team.

The Schedule

For the third consecutive year, the Skyhawks will open its regular season campaign with a conference challenge against Lone Star Conference opponents. And for the third straight season, it’s a showdown with Angelo State University and Eastern New Mexico University. Fort Lewis will then return home to host its second annual Skyhawks Hardwood Classic featuring Eastern New Mexico as well as Western New Mexico University. 

The RMAC gauntlet begins on the road at Western Colorado University on Saturday, Dec. 2, and the 22-game stretch will close out on the road on Saturday, Mar. 2, at Colorado School of Mines. Fort Lewis will host two additional non-conference contests at home against Northern New Mexico College on Monday, Nov. 27, at 7:00 p.m. as well as Navajo Technical University on Tuesday, Jan. 2, at 5:00 p.m. 

Fans will have 11 home conference games to enjoy including four straight from Dec. 5-16 before the holiday break. The Skyhawks will then host a pair of games on Jan. 19-20, Feb. 2-3, and a trio of games across Feb. 17-24. The conference tournament is slated for Mar. 5-9 with the higher seeds hosting the quarterfinal matchups before the highest remaining overall seed hosts the remainder of the tournament. The NCAA Tournament will begin its regional contests on Mar. 15. 

Know the Newcomers

Fort Lewis had a daunting challenge this offseason: replace all five starters and maintain a championship-caliber program. The Skyhawks signed four incoming freshmen – a trio of guards and one forward – and seven proven transfers from across the junior college, Division II, and Power-Five NCAA Division I levels. The rank-and-file features a pair of forwards and five guards, one of whom led all of junior college in three-point field goal percentage. 

For the full inside scoop on this season’s incoming class, click the link below.

Roster Breakdown by Class

Seniors: Junior Garbrah, Sekou Dembele, Malik Whitaker

Junior Garbrah (Guard, 6-0, 185 Melbourne, Australia)

Garbrah, a member of the 2023 RMAC All-Tournament team, is one of three Skyhawks retuning from the last season's lineup.

Sekou Dembele (Center, 6-0, Price, Utah)

Dembele is the second of just three Skyhawks to return from last season's lineup.

Malik Whitaker (Guard, 6-6, 195, Houston, Texas)

Played his 2022-23 season at West Virginia State University (NCAA DII)...Started in 26 games...averaged 27.5 minutes per game...averaged 13.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists per game...totaled 20 blocks and 35 steals...scored a career-high 26 points on two occasions...posted eight double-double performances...scored 20+ points on seven occasions...Second Team All-MEC...MEC Player of the Week (Dec. 5)...played his 2021-22 season at Frank Phillips College (NJCAA)...played in 14 games...averaged 12.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game...shot 61.2 percent from the field...played his first two seasons at Garrett College...averaged 19.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game as a sophomore...NABC NJCAA First Team All-American...First Team All-Regions...Regional Player of the Year...All-Tournament Team.

Juniors: Obi Agbim, Samier Kinsler, Tristan Hurdle, Isaiah Thompson, Brayden Carter, Jhei-R Jones

Obi Agbim (Guard, 6-3, 180, Houston, Texas)

Agbim, a 2022-23 All-RMAC Honorable Mention and 2023 RMAC All-Tournament Team honoree is the third and final Skyhawk returning from last season's lineup. 

Samier Kinsler (Guard, 6-2, 170, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Spent the 2022-23 season at West Virginia State University...played in 28 games, starting in 20...averaged 23.4 minutes per game... led the team with 16.8 points per game...shot 45 percent from the field and 43.9 percent from the three-point line... added 2.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game...totaled 37 steals..shot 81 percent from the charity stripe... named a BOXTOROW, Division II HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) Second Team All-American...Second Team All-Mountain East Conference...MEC Player of the Week (Nov. 28)...spent two seasons at Grayson College (NJCAA)...played in 46 games...averaged 11.0 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game across two seasons... totaled 88 rebounds, 42 assists, and 29 steals.

Tristan Hurdle (Guard, 6-6, 205, Highlands Ranch, Colorado)

Hurdle comes to FLC after three seasons at CSU Pueblo...played in 46 games, starting in 28...missed the 2022-23 season due to injury... averaged 26.2 minutes in each of his two seasons...  averaged 9.4 points and 3.2 rebounds as a freshman...averaged 8.1 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in his second season...scored a career-high 26 points versus Spurgeon College (Nov. 19)... earned All-RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll in 2021-22...three-year letterwinner at Highlands Ranch High School... earned First Team All-Conference as a junior and senior... tabbed with All-State Honorable Mention as a senior... guided the Falcons to the State Tournament's Sweet 16 as a junior.

Isaiah Thompson (Forward, 6-6, 215, Colorado Springs, Colorado)

Played two seasons at CSU Pueblo...played in 53 games, starting in 29...averaged 28.2 minutes per game as a sophomore...ranked second in the RMAC last season with 9.4 rebounds per game...averaged 11.9 points and 1.5 assists per game...added 11 blocks and 22 steals in his sophomore campaign...Second Team All-RMAC honors...RMAC Defensive Player of the Week (Feb. 13)...had a career-best 24-point, 14-rebound double-double against Bacone College (Nov. 19)... posted 10 double-doubles in his sophomore season...averaged 7.8 points and 6.6 per game as a freshman...shot 51.2 percent from the field...averaged 20.0 points and 12 rebounds per game as a senior at Fountain Fort Carson High School...First Team All-Conference and All-State Honorable Mention in 2019-20...First Team All-Conference, All-State Honorable Mention, and Gazette Player of the Year honors in 2020-21... also competed in volleyball.

Brayden Carter (Forward, 6-9, 230, Littleton, Colorado)

Spent two seasons at Regis University (NCAA DII)...played in 59 career games, starting in 20...averaged 11.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game as a sophomore...tallied 338 points, shooting 51.2% from the floor...named to the RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll...posted a career-high 25 points against Western Colorado (Feb. 18)... averaged 6.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.3 assists per game as a freshman...shot 51.6% from the floor...competed for the Colorado Hawks, a local AAU basketball team.

Jhei-R Jones (Guard, 6-0, 168, Mokena, Illinois)

Played in 29 games, starting in 28 for Kaskaskia College... averaged 16.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game... boasted a 47.4% shooting percentage from the field...led all of NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) with a 49.6% clip from the three-point line...shot 84.6% shooting percentage at the free throw line... totaled 174 rebounds... added 120 assists, 51 steals, and 23 blocks...scored a career-high 34 points in a win over Southeastern Illinois College (Nov. 7)...spent his freshman season at Joliet Junior College...started in all 29 games...averaged 11.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game...shot 47.5 percent from the field...totaled 191 rebounds, 101 assists, and 56 steals...named NJCAA Division III Third Team All-American.

Sophomore: Amondo Miller Jr.

Amondo Miller Jr. (Guard/Forward, 6-6, 181, Littleton, Colorado)

Spent two seasons at CU-Boulder (NCAA DI)...redshirted during the 2021-22 season...played in five games as a redshirt freshman...dished out his first career assist against Colorado State (Dec. 8)...two-time All-JeffCo First Team pick as a prep at Valor Christian High School...averaged 18.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists as a senior... guided the Eagles to a 2021 JeffCo League Championship...named the League's Most Valuable Player as a senior... played six years for the Colorado Miners club team.

Freshmen: Chris Schlesinger, Garrett Arnold, Luke Hutto, Charlie Dortch, Nathan Penney, Stewart Erhart, Gabe Tucson

Chris Schlesinger (Guard, 6-5, 210, Highlands Ranch, Colorado)

Schlesinger utilized a redshirt for the 2022-23 season… graduated from Rocky Canyon High School. 

Garrett Arnold (Guard, 6-0, 170, Highlands Ranch, Colorado)

Arnold utilized a redshirt for the 2022-23 season… came to FLC as a four-year letterwinner at Thunder Ridge High School...assisted his team in reaching three high school Final Fours and one state championship...earned All-Conference honors his senior season...owns the second-best single-game assist total (13).

Luke Hutto (Guard, 6-3, 180, Montrose, Colorado)

Hutto utilized a redshirt for the 2022-23 season…came to FLC as a four-year letterwinner at Montrose High School...four-time First Team All-Conference...three-time Conference Player of the Year...two-time All-State honoree...scored 1,294 points as a prep athlete.

Charlie Dortch (Forward, 6-9, 230, Fort Collins, Colorado)

Dortch comes to FLC as a three-year letterwinner at Rocky Mountain High School.. earned First Team All-Conference honors as a senior...Second Team All-Conference as a junior...team captain as a senior...two-time Academic All-State honoree.

Nathan Penney (Guard, 6-2, 175, Sparks, Nevada)

Comes to FLC as a two-year letterwinner in basketball and football at Spanish Springs High School... owned a 41-15 record across his two varsity seasons with the basketball team... earned Second Team All-Region as a junior... named the 5A All-North Co-Player of the Year as a senior...First Team All-Region as a wide receiver and defensive back his junior year...First Team All-State honors as a defensive back his senior year...named the Athlete of the Year. 

Stewart Erhart (Guard, 6-2, 165, Fairbanks, Alaska)

Erhart comes to FLC as a three-time All-Conference player for West Valley High School...earned All-State honors as a junior and senior...scored a career-high 35 points in a single contest... named the state of Alaska Men's Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year in 2021-22 and 2022-23. 

Gabe Tucson (Guard, 6-3, 185, Ignacio, Colorado)

Tucson comes to Fort Lewis after spending one year at Bacone College focusing on his academics... a graduate of Ignacio High School, Tucson competed in both basketball and baseball while earning six Academic Honors.

RMAC Preseason Rankings

Following a historic season and run through both the conference and NCAA playoffs last season, Fort Lewis was voted to finish second overall in the 2023-24 RMAC Preseason Coaches Poll. The Skyhawks tallied 177 total points including four first-place votes to trail only Colorado Mesa University, with whom FLC shared the 2022-23 regular season championship. The Mavericks earned 186 total points and eight first-place votes. Colorado School of Mines fell behind Fort Lewis with 169 total points and the final three first-place votes. 

Find the full conference ranking, click the link below. 

Skyhawks Madness

The Fort Lewis College men's and women's basketball teams will host "Skyhawks Madness" inside of Whalen Gymnasium on Wednesday, November 1 at 6:00 p.m.—marking the official start to basketball season.

Click the link below to review the format, per our 2022-23 press release. NOTE: The date associated this this article does not reflect this year's Skyhawks Madness Event

Final Comments from Coach Pietrack