November is here and that means so is basketball season. The UMass Lowell men’s basketball team will open the new campaign against Fisher College at Costello Athletic Center on Monday, Nov. 7 at 6 p.m.

The River Hawks, who finished just shy of .500 last year at 15-16 overall, have earned their highest preseason ranking since joining the America East Conference in 2013-14. Picked to finish third in 2022-23 in a poll among the league’s head coaches, Duquette feels this is his deepest and most talented lineup yet.

“This is definitely the most talent and depth that we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Duquette commented. “I’ve got 10 guys that could make an argument for a starting spot. It’s added to the level of competition at practice, which has been a great thing. We’re able to challenge each other. It means that someone may not get as many minutes as they anticipated, but winning is the ultimate goal. If all of our guys buy into that and we can utilize that depth, then we are going to be really good."

Entering his 10th season at the helm, Duquette is looking for the River Hawks to position themselves to earn their first ever postseason home game and make a deep run into the America East Playoffs. He knows that defense will be key for his team to be able to do so.

“Defense, defense, defense,” stressed Duquette. “The focus is on defense, particularly on the perimeter. We’ve got good rim protection, but I don’t want to rely on it like we did at times last year.”

The 2022-23 roster features a solid core of returners, including four starters. Graduate student Allin Blunt (Crownsville, Md.) is back for his fifth and final season after having led the River Hawks with 11.6 points per game last season. Juniors Ayinde Hikim (Washington, D.C.) and Max Brooks (Waldorf, Md.) also scored in double-figures last season with 11.0 and 10.7 points per game respectively. Brooks, who was named to the 2021-22 America East All-Defensive Team with 6.2 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game, earned a Preseason All-Conference nod heading into the new year. 

“Ayinde has been communicating a ton in the offseason. I’m happy for him because I think he has made a ton of progress in that area and has earned the respect of his teammates. Allin is a guy who is all about the right things. I think he is a natural leader. Max is like the energizer bunny, he brings that energy every day. Overall, I think we have a lot of different guys who can lead in a lot of different ways.”

The River Hawks are slated for 30 games with an even home and away split. The team will play a more regional non-conference campaign than in recent years in an effort to better prepare for a strong showing in America East Conference action and a shot at hosting a playoff game for the first time at the Division I level.

“One of our goals this year was to minimize travel just to see how that works. Our games at Rutgers, Rhode Island and UMass will be good opportunities for our guys to test themselves against players at higher levels. Our guys now really understand that conference play is the most important thing because in our conference there is a huge advantage going into the playoffs if you can finish in the top four to get home floor advantage. So we are looking to approach our regular season conference schedule more with a sense of urgency.”