By Joe Budzelek
After wrapping up their first season in the MAAC—one in which the Pioneers finished an even .500 in conference play and won their first-round conference tournament matchup against crosstown rival Fairfield, marking their third win over a program they had never previously defeated—Sacred Heart quickly earned recognition as one of the most efficient, fast-paced offenses in the league. Although the "Wild West" era of widespread roster volatility has swept across the nation—particularly at the mid-major level—the retention of several of the Pioneers’ most talented players from last season positions Sacred Heart to take the next step as one of the MAAC’s premier programs. The Sacred Heart Pioneers proudly hang banners celebrating their championship success at the Division II level, including thirteen NCAA Tournament appearances during the 1970s and 1980s, highlighted by their 1986 National Championship. So, there was a certain serendipity during my Thursday afternoon visit to Sacred Heart, when I had the honor of not only meeting but also watching practice alongside coaching legend Dave Bike—whose signature graces the court that now bears his name. Alongside Coach Bike, as I watched Sacred Heart’s talented group of returnees—headlined by All-MAAC Third Team selection Anquan Hill, All-Rookie pick Mekhi Connor, breakout sophomore Nyle Ralph-Beyer, and senior sharpshooter Griffin Barrouk—now bolstered by a strong recruiting class, it felt only natural to envision this group taking the next step in their journey, with conference title aspirations that are as lofty as they are realistic. “My biggest takeaway from going to MAAC from the NEC is that the margin for error in the MAAC is much smaller,” reflects Sacred Heart head coach Anthony Latina, “If you lose a main player for an extended period of time it can be the difference between going 1-4 or 4-1 over a five game stretch. That is something that is very difficult to recover from in the league standings. One of the things that we realized is that quality depth it’s not a luxury, but a necessity if you want to have a chance to finish in the top-four in the conference. We feel we addressed that by retaining most of our top players and rounding out our depth with a few quality transfers and freshmen that we think will be impact players.” What needs to change for that dream to become a reality? A combination of better health and more consistent defense—an all-too-familiar refrain. Similar issues have plagued Sacred Heart’s stronger teams in recent years, including the 2019–20 squad, which lost starting point guard Cameron Parker to a season-ending ankle injury, and the 2023–24 team, which took a major hit when Tanner Thomas missed all of conference play with a herniated disk. Injuries are inevitable, but next year’s Sacred Heart team is laying the groundwork early this offseason to make significant strides on the defensive end. Over the last few years, the most prominent issues for Sacred Heart’s defense have been a combination of switching errors caused by miscommunication, which allowed opponents to generate cleaner passes in the halfcourt and create more open looks from the perimeter. When those shots missed, inconsistent defensive rebounding allowed too many second and third chance opportunities. “Two major errors of weakness last year defensively were our ability to guard one on one and defensive rebound,” says Latina, “First, we certainly tried to address those areas in recruiting which we hope we did. Second, we are simply just emphasizing it more on a daily basis. We did make some slight adjustments from a scheme perspective, but it is much more about having our players understand the importance of these areas if we want to move up in the standings. The old saying is you are what you emphasize and what you tolerate and hopefully that will be reflected in better results defensively.” Unsurprisingly, Coach Latina’s practice schedule was filled with both instructional drills and philosophical mindset shifts aimed at intentionally—and even subconsciously—reshaping the program’s DNA. I lost count of how many times I saw the words “toughness,” “accountability,” and “communication” in team literature and heard them emphasized by the entire coaching staff. While the coaching staff is working hard to set in motion the program’s defensive shifts, Sacred Heart’s returning talent makes this exciting, fast-paced and efficient offense hum.
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| Assistant coach Donte Gittens watches along the baseline as the Pioneers scrimmage on the tail-end of Thursday's practice. With Mekhi Conner day-to-day with a stomach bug, guards Taj Bryant, Dashon Gittens and Fallou Gueye led their respective groups at point guard. |
The starting backcourt will feature breakout sophomores Mekhi Conner and Nyle Ralph-Beyer. After spending just one day in the portal, sophomore point guard Mekhi Conner returns as the offense’s primary catalyst, having not only led the MAAC in assists but also broken the program’s single-season record with 217. Gifted with solid positional size, elite court vision and creativity, Conner is also an underrated on-ball defender, averaging 1.8 steals per game. After shooting 41.0% on two-point attempts and 28.2% from beyond the arc, improving his efficiency will not only elevate his overall impact but also enhance the team’s spacing, particularly when he’s in catch-and-shoot situations. Listed last season at 6’4 175 pounds, Ralph-Beyer looked noticeably stronger in practice—an improvement that should enhance his explosiveness on both ends of the floor, particularly his ability to finish through contact. “Nyle was instant offense for us last season off the bench before sliding into the starting lineup toward the end of the year,” said Sacred Heart assistant coach Tom Barrett. “He was viewed primarily as a three-point shooter as a freshman, but he can really score at all three levels. He’s as dynamic a shot-maker and scorer as we’ve had since Tyler Thomas. He’s also gotten stronger and more confident defensively, which will allow him to stay on the floor longer this upcoming season and fully display everything he brings offensively.” At the very least, if the sophomore duo reprises its freshman-year level of production and efficiency, that provides a rock-solid backcourt foundation to build on—especially when combined with Sacred Heart’s deep group of returning and newly added guards. More on the backcourt depth later. Between his long frame, rim protection and his soft shooting touch, senior forward Anquan Hill brings an efficient Durant-esque two-way style that projects as one of the best players in the conference next season. On the opposite end of the spectrum, senior Anquan Hill is Sacred Heart’s only returning frontcourt rotation piece, but he’s a damn good one. Anthony Latina prioritizes players, no matter the position, who can pass, dribble and shoot so between his long frame, rim protection and his soft shooting touch, senior forward Hill brings an efficient Durant-esque two-way style that projects him as one of the best players in the conference next season. In fact, according to KenPom.com, Hill finished last season as the MAAC’s second most efficient offensive player, with top-eight ranks in two-point shooting (63%), three-point shooter (43%) and turnover rate, while also providing value under the boards on both ends. Backing up Anquan Hill is incoming freshman Abdou Yadd, a 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward originally from Senegal who recently concluded his high school career by winning a prep school national championship at Connecticut basketball powerhouse Putnam Science Academy. According to 247Sports.com, Yadd is a three-star, top-250 recruit who received offers from high-major programs such as Texas A&M, Arizona State, Nebraska, and Seton Hall earlier in his recruitment before committing to Sacred Heart. When asked about the immediate impact Yadd can make on the program, Barrett adds: “We expect Abdou to contribute right away and be an All-Rookie level player. Defensively, he will be an anchor for us protecting the paint and most importantly cleaning up the glass, an area of weakness for us last season.” While Hill played all of his minutes at the center position last season, the graduation of Bryce Johnson and the transfers of Tanner Thomas (to Loyola Marymount) and Raymond Espinal-Guzman (to Stonehill) gives the Pioneers’ coaching staff the flexibility to approach their new-look frontcourt with different matchup possibilities—including the option to play Hill and Yadd together. “We have no issue playing Abdou and Anquan together, and we will play them together a lot,” adds Barrett. “Anquan’s ability to shoot the ball makes it easy for us to slide him to the 4 offensively, and both guys move extremely well for their size on defense.” Specifically regarding Yadd, his intensity, communication, and heart on the defensive end stood out, as the young Pioneer was consistently the loudest player in last week’s practice. Reprising a reserve frontcourt role is redshirt sophomore Lucius Gibson-Savadel, a physical, traditional low-post center who stands at 6’11 240-pounds. While minutes won’t likely come easy for him, he also possesses immense value for Hill and Yadd to battle against in practice and the third year Pioneer has been lauded for his leadership abilities. East Carolina transfer Yann Farell is the Pioneers’ best bet to start next season at the power forward spot. The former top-250 recruit from Brewster Academy began his collegiate career as a full-time starter for two seasons at St. Bonaventure, but his time at East Carolina proved to be a bit of a square-peg-in-a-round-hole situation. At St. Bonaventure, Farell ’s offensive efficiency and three-level versatility were well utilized by head coach Mark Schmidt. However, at East Carolina, his role was mostly reduced to serving as a floor spacer on a team lacking reliable long-range shooters. Despite maintaining strong offensive efficiency ratings throughout his career, Farell has developed a reputation as a one-way player. That said, his positional size and strength—he looked noticeably stronger in practice than his previously listed 6’6", 211-pound frame—could help elevate his defensive performance as he transitions from the A-10 and AAC to the MAAC. Also, between Latina’s fast-paced, high-efficiency offensive style, it would not surprise if Farell finishes this season with career highs in scoring and rebounding. It is still very early in the offseason, but with Hill, Farell, Ralph-Beyer and Conner seemingly locked in starting roles, returning senior guard Griffin Barrouk and FIU transfer Dashon Gittens are the frontrunners to earn the team’s final starting spot in the backcourt. Playing sparingly across his first two seasons at Hofstra, the 6’5 200-pound Barrouk immediately stepped in last year as one of the Pioneers’ most potent and efficient three-point shooters, finishing the season with seventeen starts. Griffin’s three-point prowess provides him a nice floor on his impact next season, but more versatility on the offensive end and better decision making on defense will help Barrouk take the next step as he closes out his collegiate career. “I think the biggest improvements in Griffin are his confidence and comfort level on the court,” says Latina, “He did not have a ton of game experience prior to coming here and I think early in the season last year, he was just trying to find a comfort level on the court. I believe the game has slowed down for him now because he has now had some success in games and knows he can do it consistently. The ability has always been there but sometimes you need to see it happen in game action to take the next step.” For Dashon Gittens, transferring to Sacred Heart will be a family affair with his older brother Donte returning for his third year on the coaching staff while his younger brother Da’mnic is an incoming freshman. The 6’3 180 Hartford native played the last three seasons at FIU, where he steadily grew notoriety as one of the more aggressive on-ball defenders in the Conference USA. Similar to Farell, Gittens played in one of the most inefficient offenses in the nation, where FIU was plagued with poor spacing and high turnover rates, which were exacerbated with a frenetic pace. With that being said, Gittens could not only see if efficiency improves at Sacred Heart, but his tenacity on defense helps fit a major need as the program looks to make strides on that end. No matter which of the two players starts, both Gittens and Barrouk will have major roles next season. Blessed with some of the best depth in the MAAC, junior wing Jaden Slaughter and sophomore guards Taj Bryant and Fallou Gueye are the most likely players to round out the rotation. After committing last year but spending the season recovering from an ACL tear, the 6'5", 205-pound Slaughter last played a full season at Coahoma Community College, where he averaged 18 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals per game—production that earned him MACCC All-Conference Second Team honors and a spot on JUCORecruiting.com’s Fab 50 JUCO Freshmen list. “We brought him in knowing that he would sit out last season, but [Jaden] is completely healthy,” says Barrett, “Jaden is a big, strong, physical guard that can really get downhill and score in the paint and create for others, playing a style very similar to Amiri Stewart, but bigger. Going to be an impact guy for us next year and he definitely has a chance to start.” It is easy to envision Slaughter getting minutes both as a bigger 3-guard and an undersized-4. Another Putnam Science Academy graduate, Taj Bryant—a 6’2”, 180-pound sophomore—carved out a significant bench role over the final month of his freshman season, despite receiving inconsistent reps after missing practices last summer and being sidelined by an early-season illness. With Mekhi Conner missing Thursday’s practice, Bryant had an opportunity to showcase the quickness and athleticism that fuel his aggressive on-ball defense and ability to carve through defenders to attack the rim. There is a clear role for Bryant as the primary backup point guard behind Conner, but if both players can improve their perimeter efficiency, there will be increased opportunities for them to share the floor together. Bryant’s former PSA teammate, Fallou Gueye, measures in at 6’6”, 190 pounds and shares similar traits with former Pioneers point forward Brendan McGuire. “Fallou is long, athletic—just an elite mover,” said Coach Latina in the preseason, “He’s so quick. He covers so much ground, and he can help you in transition both offensively and defensively.” However, like many freshmen guards, turnovers and mental lapses hindered Gueye’s efficiency on both ends of the floor. That said, his unique and electric dimension adds intrigue to the backcourt, offering significant upside if everything starts to click. Unlike Bryant, Gueye’s positional versatility makes it harder to define his exact role for next season, but he’ll undoubtedly earn more minutes if he can develop into the highly switchable, multi-positional defender the team sorely needs. In addition to Yadd and Gittens, Sacred Heart’s deep five-man freshman class also includes guards Darell Brown Jr. and Kevin Pikiell—the son of long-time Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell—as well as forward Jeremiah Jacobs. Including Gittens, all three guards are expected to play reserve roles this year, with hopes of earning more consistent playing time as sophomores, while Jacobs brings immense long-term upside as one of the youngest players in college basketball; he won’t turn 18 until later this year. Blessed with a sturdy 6’8 frame with plus length, Jacobs’ style of play is reminiscent of Sacred Heart great EJ Anosike as he is able to combine blue-collar toughness with a versatile offensive skill set. Obviously, there are many steps the talented freshman will need to take in order to reach a potential close to that impact, but watching in practice it is clear why this staff is downright giddy to reel in Jacobs. With the quality and depth of their roster, this is the most talented and athletic roster in Sacred Heart history. They will play fast with beautifully flowing ball-movement and efficient shooting. The offense will churn, that’s no debate. However, if the Pioneers want to reach new heights, intensity and communication on the defensive end is the keystone to their potential. In their first year in the MAAC, the Pioneers made a strong first impression. As the team wrapped up practice with a series of crosscourt sprints, Coach Latina’s refrain— “At the end of the game, we will find a way to grind it out” —has the potential to become a mantra in their pursuit of becoming a complete team on both ends of the court, aiming to rank among the best in the conference.
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