This is both good and troubling. The good news is that Calvin still returns four starters and a handful of bench players who saw minutes last season. The good news is also that 13 of the 15 players could return next season.
The troubling part is that it seems to me that Calvin needs at least two (and probably three) players who enter the season as relative unknowns to step up and contribute solidly in the rotation if they're going to entertain hopes of winning silverware once again this season.
Returning starters Tony Canonie (SR), Tony DeWitte (SO), Michael Wilks (SR), and Austin Bykerk (JR) should not present any problems for the Knights. Canonie is the best defensive player in the MIAA (he was robbed of the award last season), and Wilks could prove to be one of the best scorers in the league. DeWitte and Bykerk will both be asked to take a step forward in their second seasons in maroon and gold, but they both enter the season with the baseline of at least being solid contributors to begin with.
The rest of the returning players are Carlos Amoros-Gutierrez (JR), Derrick DeVries (SO), Alex Bos (SO), and David Rinke (FR). Amoros-Gutierrez and DeVries both appeared in double-digit number of games last year, but averaged fewer than ten minutes in those games. Bos came on as a matchup contributor at the end of the season, and Rinke appeared in a few games early before a foot injury ended his season (I believe he'll retain that season of eligibility).
Added into the mix will be Lake Michigan College transfer Jason Walter (JR), Hope transfer Tom Morrison (SO), and JV call-up Isaiah McLaughlin (JR). Quality of competition caveats apply for Walter's season at the NJCAA level, but he started 22 games for Lake Michigan and averaged 12 points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes per game (his scoring efficiency numbers were strong as well with 1.23 points per weighted shot and a .605 effective field goal percentage). Morrison played a season of JV ball at Hope.
The four true freshmen that made the team are Forrest Bouyer Jr., Thad Shymanski, Luke Morrison, and Emmett Warners. Anything you get from freshmen should be a nice bonus. I rarely count on them for immediate impact.
So Calvin's going to need to find one starter, probably a forward-type player. I'd consider Derrick DeVries to be the favorite as the returning non-starter who logged the most minutes last season (excluding Amoros-Gutierrez who will probably need to come on when Canonie comes off). Alex Bos also saw some time in the rotation at the end of the season, particularly when Calvin needed to match up with a bigger squad. I'd say he's in the running as well. If we want to read his junior college stats in the most positive light, Jason Walter could also be in the mix.
I said Calvin needed to find three breakout players if they hope to compete at the top of the league. Here are my three bold predictions as to who those players might be (based on nothing but gut feel):
- David Rinke gets major playing time and draws striking comparisons to a young Tyler Kruis.
- Jason Walter becomes a rotation player and is one of the most efficient scorers on the team.
- Forrest Bouyer pushes for playing time at the point and leads the team in assists (per minute).
Depth Chart Guess (2017-2018):
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | Canonie | Amoros | Bouyer | L. Morrison |
| G | DeWitte | McLaughlin | Shymanski | |
| G/F | DeVries | Walter | Warners | |
| F | Wilks | Bos | T. Morrison | |
| F/C | Bykerk | Rinke |
