Behind enemy lines: chatting with Tom Housenick

CTC got a chance to chat it up with Tom Housenick, senior writer of The Morning Call. We’d like to thank Tom for taking a few minutes to help us get a better feel of Lafayette basketball.

Q: First and foremost, what should we know about the personnel on this team? Who are some key losses from last year and how do they plan to fill those holes?

Lafayette in sync

A: Lafayette graduated one of the best players in program history in Tony Johnson, a point guard who was a great leader and capable of doing anything on the court. A freshman, Nick Lindner, is thrown into Johnson’s role at the point. He is quick, athletic, raw. He had eight points, seven assists, four turnovers in 33 minutes of a season-opening loss at Villanova. The only other loss was front court starter Levi Giese. The Leopards are not deep or big up front this season. Two Australians --- starting center Dan Trist and Nathaniel Musters --- are among those expected to eat up minutes.

Q: What about style of play? Are we going to see Lafayette running up and down the court or could this turn into a gritty type of game?

A: Lafayette’s motion offense will not change, no matter who is running the point. They are not as athletically gifted as many of their opponents, but the system requires only precise execution from high-IQ players. As Lindner develops, so too will the transition game.

Q: What are the expectations for Lafayette? Can they compete again for a Patriot league championship and NCAA berth?

A: I don’t think Lafayette will be far from the top again. The Leopards have enough shooters --- Seth Hinrichs, Joey Ptasinski and Bryce Scott, among them --- to keep up with everyone in the league. Interior defense and rebounding will go a long way in determining their fate.

Q: Lafayette lost their first game to Villanova 75-59. What were your observations on the game? What were some positives and negatives you took away?

A: First, Lindner, in a home game of sorts, didn’t get caught up in the emotion of the opener at Villanova. The Leopards also shot it well from 3-point range (11 for 24). But they were a minus-9 on the boards (minus-6 on the offensive end) and uncharacteristically missed half of their free throws. I don’t expect that latter to happen very often. The foul discrepancy mostly came late as they tried to catch up.

Q: Have you been able to dig into the Robert Morris match-up at all? What do people know about RMU? What are some areas Lafayette could potentially exploit or take advantage of?

A: I had the chance to see Robert Morris early last season against Lehigh. RMU really struggled to shoot the ball, but, obviously got better in many areas as the season wore on. RMU’s plus-10 rebounding edge and overall athleticism could be real problems for Lafayette; A good early gauge for both teams.

--Chris Cappella

--@C_Cappella