2023-24 Patriot League Previews: Army Black Knights

2022-23 Regular Season Result: 17-16 (10-8) 4^th in Patriot League

2023 Patriot League Tournament Result: Lost in Semifinals at Colgate

Coach: Kevin Kuwik (1^st season)

Key Departures: Jalen Rucker (Guard), Chris Mann (Forward), Ethan Roberts (Forward), Colton Benson (Guard)

Key Additions: Ryan Curry (Guard), Dylan Blair (Guard)

This offseason was marked by turnover in West Point. Starting wing Chris Mann graduated, 31-game starter Colton Benson transferred to Texas State, reigning Patriot League rookie of the year Ethan Roberts hit the transfer portal and ended up at Drake, head coach Jimmy Allen was let go, and the leading scorer in the Patriot League and first team All-Patriot rising senior Jalen Rucker put his name in the transfer portal in late May and is still without a school.

Prior to all of the departures I had Army solidly in the top four of the league and possibly as high as second behind Colgate. Jalen Rucker who was named first team all Patriot League was the straw that stirred the drink. I thought him and Charlie Peterson would be the best guard/big man duo in the conference and cause problems for teams offensively. Roberts and Benson both played well in big roles for the Black Knights, and I expected them to collectively take steps forward. However, that dream of being a legitimate contenting program is likely gone. Now I see the Black Knights among the bottom teams in the league.

Army is going to have to find a way to replace the combined 50.6 points per game of their four leading scorers which equated to about 70% of their scoring. When I talked with first-year head coach Kevin Kuwik in preparation for writing this article he emphasized one of his main tasks is figuring out who is going to score.

Kuwik raved about his big men. Folks who watched Army basketball last year saw the talent of Charlie Peterson anchoring the floor for the Black Knights. He contributed nearly eight points a game and over five rebounds per contest. Probably fewer people noticed the play of backup center Abe Johnson. Johnson played less than 13 minutes per game but was highly effective in his time on the floor. He shot 58% from the field and pulled down four rebounds a game along with blocking 20 shots on the season. In my opinion, he is the best backup center in the Patriot League. Kuwik praised all three of his big men even telling me about Matt Dove who was the third center on the depth chart. Dove saw a little under six minutes a game and averaged about two points and two rebounds per game. The now senior forward Dove is 6’10 240 lbs. and like all Army cadets is strong and hard to move off the block. It will be interesting to see if Army plays a lineup with multiple big men on the court as some of Kuwik’s best players essentially play the same position. I think a lineup with both Peterson and Johnson would be fascinating to watch. As someone who grew up playing center, I have a soft spot for good big men play, and Army clearly has some of the best in the league. Getting rebounds would be no problem for the Black Knights. The issues would come in being able to match up with teams that stretch the floor and draw the centers out of the paint. Also, if Abe Johnson is to see the floor more this season presumably the coaching staff is going to need to work with him on his 29.7% free throw percentage because if that does not rise teams will be able to exploit Army’s offensive possessions with timely fouls against the big man from Montana.

Elsewhere on the court for Army Isiah Caldwell should provide some offensive versatility with his 39% shooting clip from three. He and guard TJ Small should have increased roles with the departures. Army brought in two freshman guards who will vie for minutes at the starting point guard spot along with Zach Lezanic and Jaden Ellis who combined barely saw the floor last season. The two newcomers at guard are Dylan Blair and Ryan Curry. Blair received interest from Colgate, Navy, Holy Cross, Penn, FDU, and Binghampton. On his commitment to West Point Blair told Vista. Today “The opportunity to play Division I basketball, the opportunity to serve my country, and the opportunity to have a great education, I felt like it kind of was a no-brainer”. Curry on the other hand attended the US Military Preparatory School last year. Kuwik also added Dr. Carson Cunningham former Incarnate Word head coach to his staff.

The outlook for the Black Knights is not great. One cannot lose basically 70% of their offensive production and just replace it with ease. This is especially true at a service academy where you cannot take transfers. When I asked Kuwik about what he anticipated the pace of play to be for his program given the offensive losses he told me that he has not surrendered to the idea of playing a slower place and “taking the air out of the ball” just yet. That being said I think he is going to need to get creative with lineups and schemes to be able to compete in year one. I expect senior center Charlie Peterson to shoulder a lot of the weight. I like Peterson, but realistically how much can you ask of him when he has never averaged more than 8.2 points per game in a season? I see him taking a jump, but getting up to 12 or 13 is probably the ceiling, and even then, Army needs a lot of help from young players. In college basketball age is an advantage and Army’s key contributors are by and large not old.

I expect Army to finish 10^th

I’ve put a lot of effort into these previews. Many hours were spent researching, interviewing, and writing in depth previews for all ten of the Patriot League men’s basketball teams. I enjoy covering the conference and my goal is to provide the best national coverage of Patriot League Men’s Basketball. If you enjoyed the coverage and would like to support my work my PayPal username is @HappeningHoops while obviously not expected any and all donations are always welcomed. Thank you!

All Team Previews

1. Colgate
2. Lehigh
3. American
4. Loyola
5. Lafayette
6. Holy Cross
7. Navy
8. Bucknell
9. Boston
10. Army