KUTZTOWN, Pa.-- After a 2021-22 season plagued by injuries, COVID-19, and inconsistency, the Kutztown University men's basketball team is eager to get back to playing 'Kutztown Basketball' this upcoming campaign.
In his 22nd-year as head coach, Bernie Driscoll is looking to navigate a tough Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) slate with a roster that experienced a lot of turnover in the offseason. The Golden Bears finished last season with a 9-19 record, including a 6-16 mark in conference play.
"Last year was an outlier," Driscoll said. "We were hit hard with COVID-19 and injuries, which led us to play with seven players while having 14 games in 28 days with no practice."
KU will lean upon some of its returners to help turn the ship around in 2022-23, including the strong backcourt duo of senior Wesley Butler (Reading, Pa./Reading) and sophomore Jalen Bryant (Edgewood, Md./John Carroll).
Butler, a Reading native, is the leader of the Golden Bears on and off the court. On the offensive side of the ball, he led the team in points per game (14.9) and assists (74). He was also top-10 in the PSAC last season in steals per game (1.7) and assists to turnover ratio (1.8).
"Wesley is one of those few players you get in your coaching lifetime where you thank the good lord for being able to coach him," Driscoll said. "He's got a great GPA, is a Reading City Council member and embodies everything great about college athletics on top of being a great basketball player."
Butler also led the Golden Bears last season despite dealing with an injured foot, which he was able to get repaired this summer.
"His movement has returned, his shot is returned, and I'm really excited," Driscoll said.
Bryant is the perfect compliment to Butler, creating a strong one-two punch in the backcourt for the Golden Bears. In his freshman campaign, the Edgewood, Md., native averaged 10.1 points per game, 2.5 assists per game and 2.9 rebounds per game.
"Kutztown has always been a point guard school and I expect him to be one of those great point guards that makes all-conference first or second team," Driscoll said. "His shot is better and cleaner, he put on ten pounds of muscle, and he's earned his stripes at the college level."
A strength for KU this season that wasn't present last season will be depth, especially in the front court. With some transfer portal editions, the Golden Bears have a slew of players they can rely on to take solid minutes.
"We want to play an up-tempo shooting game and with more depth, we have the luxury to rotate players and stay fresh on the court," Driscoll said.
Josh Samec (Tresckow, Pa./Hazleton), a senior transfer from West Chester, along with Jordan Harding (Bear, Del./William Penn), a graduate transfer from Wilmington (Del.), are both well-rounded wing players with great shots and the ability to get rebounds. Center Robert Tucker (Philadelphia, Pa./Paul Robeson) will be the Golden Bears' key post player, while brothers Kyle Whippen (Arlington,Va./Westfield) and Chase Whippen (Arlington, Va./Westfield), who both transferred from Fairmount State, will both play big roles for KU this season.
The transfers of Samec, Harding and the Whippen brothers along with the editions of freshmen Brendan Boyle (Allentown, Pa./Notre Dame), Will Meeker (Orefield, Pa./Parkland), Ryan Glassmacher (Stewartsville, N.J./Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.)) and Darius Brown (Wilmington, Del./Howard) leave KU with eight new players on a 14-man roster.
"You have to do your homework and make sure the players fit the culture and work ethic of our program first before you bring them in," Driscoll said. "They all seem to like each other, they're good kids and time will tell how they truly mesh when the season starts."
After being selected sixth in the PSAC Eastern Division Preseason Poll, the Golden Bears are looking to compete for the PSAC East while getting back to playing their brand of basketball.
"We have a pride in playing hard as a team and that's something we're going to do on a consistent level," Driscoll said. "We've got to get back to playing Kutztown basketball."
The Golden Bears kick off their campaign at the PSAC/CIAA Challenge at Lincoln University. KU will face Elizabeth City State on Friday, Nov. 11, at 5 p.m., followed by a game on Saturday, Nov. 12, against Lincoln (Pa.) at 4 p.m.
