BY: PRATIK SINHA
Men’s Basketball
Last Season in Review:
Last season was a step in the right direction for the Tribe, who improved from 5 wins in 2021-22 to 13 in 2022-23. Despite their season ending with a blowout 94-46 loss to Hofstra in the CAA quarterfinals (we won’t dwell on that one for long), the Tribe did have an impressive conference tournament until that point, which included a 73-51 thrashing of Elon. W&M’s 7.5 win improvement was 2nd-best in the CAA and ranked among the top 30 year-over-year increases in the nation. The Tribe also ranked 2nd in the CAA in 3-point percentage last season.
The Kaplan Arena home-court advantage was indeed a significant one, as the Tribe held a strong record of 11-5 at home (compared to a dismal 1-14 record on the road). The Green & Gold faithful definitely showed up to support the team, and the results showed.
Looking Forward:
Hope springs eternal with a new season starting up, and Tribe fans are hoping that this could finally be the year the Green & Gold makes it to the NCAA tournament. There are certainly reasons for optimism.
The return of last year’s starters Gabe Dorsey (who shot 44% from beyond the 3-point arc to lead the CAA), Noah Collier, and Matteus Case provides a solid foundation as the 2023-24 season gets underway. Boosting the rotation are a trio of transfers: Caleb Dorsey (Gabe’s elder brother, joining the Tribe from Big Ten powerhouse Penn State), graduate student Sean Houpt (from Florida Tech), and sophomore point guard Trey Moss (from the University of South Florida). Freshmen Tai Hamilton, a 6’10” forward, and guard Jayden Lemond will also figure to make contributions right away for the Tribe.
While none of the Tribe players made the Preseason All-CAA teams, the sharp-shooting Gabe Dorsey did receive an honorable mention. For the second consecutive year, the preseason poll has William & Mary finishing 8th in the conference (out of 14 teams).
If this young and dynamic squad can improve on last season’s horrendous road record by just a handful of wins while continuing to defend their home floor, the team will be poised to finish with a winning record, which would represent another significant step forward.
In exciting news for Tribe fans, William & Mary will feature in no fewer than three nationally televised conference games this season on CBS Sports Network – at home vs. Delaware on 2/1, on the road at reigning CAA champions Charleston on 2/19, and a road clash vs. Elon on 2/29.
Season Opener:
The Tribe opens their season against the Regent University Royals on November 6 at 7:30 pm in Kaplan Arena.
Women’s Basketball
Last Season in Retrospect:
For the women’s team, last season was one for the history books. Under the leadership of first-year head coach Erin Dickerson Davis, the Tribe finished 4th in the CAA standings and achieved a program-record 12 conference wins (18 total).
What to Expect This Season:
With the return of senior Rebekah Frisby-Smith (who led the team in steals last season with 1.5 per game) and the promising sophomore Alexa Mikeska, the Tribe’s core looks strong. The addition of Nylah Young, a transfer from Hampton University, brings an exciting new dimension to the team. With an average of 14.1 points and 6 rebounds per game and scoring over 20 points on 8 separate occasions last season, expectations are high for Young, who was named to the Preseason All-CAA 2nd team for 2023-24.
Despite their impressive 4th place finish last season, the Tribe were picked to finish 9th in the 2023-24 CAA women’s basketball preseason poll. Hopefully this provides bulletin board material for the squad and they are able to prove the doubters wrong!
Season Opener:
The Tribe is all set to tip off what promises to be an exciting season as they welcome Norfolk State to Kaplan Arena on November 6 at 5pm.
The William & Mary Sports Blog 