2021-22 Men's Basketball season preview

John Clancy has two main tasks in his first year as Triton College men's basketball coach.
 
First, Clancy is charged with continuing the long, championship-contending tradition established by predecessor Steve Christiansen. He knows all about the winning atmosphere from the inside-out, having served on Christiansen's staff in 2019-20.
 
Second, the coaching veteran of stints at John A. Logan College and Southern Illinois University wants to use his deep roster to embed an up-tempo style.
 
"With having double-digit guys with D1 offers and interest, we would be foolish to merely be a half court team and not utilize our depth, length, and athleticism," said Clancy. "We want to wear people down with our defensive pressure and with the pace we want to play with offensively".

Camaraderie molding is the first step in the new Clancy Administration. He and his assistants have brought in 12 new players with considerable basketball pedigrees to go with two returnees from Christiansen's final team. Meshing their talents and using creative combinations on court will be the key to another winning Triton season.
 
"My philosophy is slightly different than Steve's," said Clancy. "I'm not trying to re-invent the wheel, but just enhance the product. We will have more possessions, and will press on defense to create our offense. We want to turn people over and limit them to one shot."
 
Clancy is fortunate one of his two returnees is a big man, and his tallest player: 6-foot-9 Deangelo Elisee. "He is an elite shot blocker in junior-college competition," he said.
 
The coach's lineup creativity is stirred by the presence of newcomer Patrick Suemnick, a 6-foot-8 transfer from Robert Morris. Suemnick's ability to play sometimes "like a big guard, who can shoot three's," said Clancy, has potential to have the two "bigs" in the lineup at the same time.
 
The other second-year Trojan is wingman Teonta McKeithen. "He can really score and has made strides defensively," Clancy said.
 
If the Trojans can go big at the same time, they also can – in Clancy's projection – flood the floor with point guards to really push the ball up court.
These talents are reflected in Kimahri Wilson, a 6-foot former North Chicago star whom Clancy has known since eighth grade.
 
"He's the ultimate point guard," Clancy said. "He'll be with us for two years. Kimahri is a great playmaker. He's one of the elite passers and a menace defensively.
 
Wilson could be paired in the backcourt with fellow point guard Daylan Hamilton, a 6-foot-3 transfer from Western Michigan. "He's explosive and athletic," Clancy said.
 
Other guards in the mix are Canadian Brandon Muntu, a 6-foot-4 lefty shooter who transferred from Vincennes University. Cobie Montgomery, a 6-foot-4 transfer from Olney Central, can "jump out of the gym," said Clancy.
 
No stranger to longtime winning programs is 6-foot-3 John Ittounas. A transfer from UW-Whitewater, Ittounas matriculated in Pat Ambrose's legendary Stevenson High School program.
 
McKeithen will be joined by wing newcomers Cam Denson, Christian Wells, JJ Kalakon and Daeyon James.
 
Denson is a 6-foot-7 adept ball handler and versatile defender. Wells, son of former 10-year NBA player Bonzi Wells, is a lefty described by Clancy as "crafty and tough." Kalakon "rebounds and defends, and has toughness," he said. "He's like our Swiss Army knife – he does a little bit of everything." He also predicts the 6-foot-6 James "will be one of the best shooters in JUCO."
 
A probable redshirt is 6-foot-2 Brionne Williams, younger brother of former Trojans star Alondes Williams, member of the 2018 National Championship team currently playing at Wake Forest.
 
"He's got tremendous upside, and is explosive for us," said Clancy.  
 
"Brionne is a little bit different than Alondes, not as big, but maybe a better defender."
 
Putting all the talent together in the right lineups, Clancy has a clear vision of team production.
 
"Try to have the deepest team in the country," he said. "We want to lead the country in assists. If you lead the country in assists, you will do well. We want tough kids who are unselfish."

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(Story by tritonathletics.com contributor George Castle)