The College of Staten Island Men's Basketball Team begins the 2024-2025 season with the Tournament of Heroes on Saturday evening at The Tank with a pair of tough games against regionally acclaimed competition. However, the Dolphins are also entering the season among the region's regionally acclaimed programs coming off a season where the team cracked the East Region Top 10 for the first time in program history. A very successful 2023-2024 regular season ended with the team earning the #2 seed in the East Coast Conference and a first-round bye in the playoffs. However, the Dolphins fell to the Daemen University Wildcats in the ECC Championship Semifinal round. In the recently released ECC Preseason Coaches Poll for the upcoming season, the Dolphins were chosen to finish 3rd in the conference behind Daemen and St. Thomas Aquinas College. Last season, the Dolphins were 2-1 against the Wildcats including the postseason, and CSI lost both meetings with the Spartans. The Dolphins will enter the 2024-2025 campaign led by the ECC Preseason Player of the Year in Messiah Mallory. They will also return many of their key players alongside the addition of several more new faces to the roster. Head Coach T.J. Tibbs is also back for his seventh season coming off an ECC Coach of the Year honor from the conference last season. Following a season where the team went 19-10 overall and 13-3 in conference play, the Dolphins tip off 2024-2025 with their sights set on their first-ever Division II postseason victory and an appearance in the ECC Championship.
2024-2025 ECC MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL RANKINGS
KEY RETURNERS
*20+ MINUTES PER GAME IN 2023-2024
MESSIAH MALLORY - Sr. | FWD | Watervliet, NY
Messiah Mallory has been the most dynamic two-way player in the Division II history of the Men's Basketball program, and he was at the center of the team's 19-win regular season in 2023-2024. Throughout his career, the senior has been a consistent scorer and rebounder averaging no fewer than 14 points and 8.5 rebounds in any of his first three seasons. A career 49% shooter and 37% three-point shooter, Mallory has been incredibly efficient from the field on his way to over 1000 career points. He also possesses the all-time program record for blocked shots with 180 for his career. Named the ECC Preseason Player of the Year, he has certainly put the rest of the conference on notice ahead of his fourth season with the CSI Men's Basketball program.
AARON GOLDSTEIN - So. | G | Staten Island, NY
Goldstein joined the Dolphins last season and made an immediate impact averaging 10 points per game. As a freshman, the Staten Island native received four ECC Rookie of the Week honors and scored more than 20 points on three separate occasions. Goldstein was also an efficient scorer shooting nearly 43% from the field and 39% from beyond the arc. He finished just two assists shy of the team lead in that category and finished the season as the team leader in steals. Another dynamic two-way player that was a major factor in the program's success last season, the Dolphins hope to see Goldstein take another big step forward this season.
JJ CHESTNUT - Jr. | G | Watervliet, NY
Another guard who has been key to CSI's success at both ends of the floor, JJ Chestnut has provided the team with whatever is asked of him throughout his first two seasons with the program. After logging huge minutes as a freshman, his time on the floor was dialed back a bit during his sophomore campaign. Despite the decrease in minutes, his production remained steady and efficient. For his career, Chestnut is shooting over 46% from the field and averaging just shy of 10 points per game. He also has over 50 steals and has averaged over 4 rebounds per game as a guard. The junior's versatility and consistency will undoubtedly be relied upon once again this season.
CHRIS CLANCY - Sr. | G | Staten Island, NY
Clancy joined the Dolphins last season and quickly emerged as the most dependable outside-shooting bench option for CSI. Appearing in 29 games, all as a reserve, the senior shot 42% from beyond the arc last season. He also contributed 4 rebounds per game and 20 steals in just over 20 minutes per game. A huge part of CSI's prolific three-point offense, Clancy is also an important part of the team's defense. Whether as a starter or reserve, Clancy is certain to remain a key contributor in his second season with the program this year.
2024-2025 TRANSFERS
*2+ YEARS OF COLLEGIATE EXPERIENCE
ASA KONE
Kone joins the Dolphins by way of Mercy University where he played each of the last two seasons. After seeing limited action as a freshman, Kone played over 22 minutes per game as a sophomore and averaged over 7 points per game. Last season, Kone also contributed 5 rebounds per game and blocked 27 shots. Providing the Dolphins which some additional size, he will fill an important role as a second paint presence alongside and behind Messiah Mallory.