Returning 11 of 15 players from the 2023-24 Hobart basketball team that won the Liberty League regular season and tournament championships and made the program's sixth NCAA tournament appearance, the Statesmen will open the 2024-25 season at York (Pa.) on Saturday, Nov. 9. Hobart will be led by Stefan Thompson '13, who begins his fifth season at the helm with a 74-35 record.
Thompson guided the Statesmen to a 22-6 record last season, his second 20-win season as a head coach. That team opened the year with a 10-game winning streak and went a perfect 14-0 on its home floor, including a 63-55 victory over St. Lawrence in the Liberty League Championship game. Dating back to the 2022-23 season, Hobart has won 19 in a row in Bristol Gym.
Thompson describes last year's Statesmen as gritty and committed. The wins weren't always pretty, but every member of the team was truly invested in making the team better and celebrated every individual accomplishment.
"This summer we hit the reset button. Every journey's a new journey. The biggest thing for us is we're not the defending Liberty League Champions, we're in pursuit of another championship. We don't want to get in that defensive state, 'Hey, we gotta protect this championship.' No, that's last year's team. Those guys are never putting that jersey on again. So this year's team's got to be in pursuit of their own goals. We work through our team goals pretty early in the year. And the leadership of our team has been really impressive to see how quickly they've been striving to do that." -- Thompson
The senior quartet of Pat Healy, Carter Meshanic, Aidan Rodgers and Hunter Meshanic will lead the veteran group as captains. All four have experience in the starting lineup, including Rodgers who has started 80 of the 81 games he's played for the Statesmen.
They'll be filling the leadership and production void left by the Class of 2024: Isaiah Washington, Ryan Lucey and Matt Brand. Washington and Lucey were both starters and all three made significant contributions through their leadership on and off the court.
Pat Healy '25
- 2023-24 D3hoops.com All-Region 3rd team
- 2023-24 USBWA All-Rochester Area
- 2023-24 All-Liberty League
- Led team in scoring (12.7 ppg)
- Season-high 28 points at St. John Fisher
Carter Meshanic '25
- 2023-24 USBWA All-Rochester Area
- 2023-24 All-Liberty League 2nd team
- Averaged 11.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 0.8 bpg
- Led Liberty League in rebounds (203)
- 17 points, 14 rebounds vs. Brockport
- 18 points, 14 rebounds at Rochester
- Needs 249 points to join 1,000-point club
Aidan Rodgers '25
- 2023-24 All-Liberty League honorable mention
- 2024 Liberty League Tournament Most Outstanding Player
- Averaged 12.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.5 spg
- Made a bid for a triple-double on 17 pts, 8 rebs, 8 assts vs. Immaculata
- Needs 164 points to join 1,000-point club
Hunter Meshanic '25
- Hobart's 6th man
- Will compete for a starting role this year
- Averaged 3.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 0.9 apg
- Season-high 8 pts at Clarkson
- 6 pts, season-high 8 rebs vs. RIT in Liberty League Semifinals
Sophomores
Guard Alex Moesch won the team's rookie award after playing in all 28 games and averaging 10.6 ppg and 2.6 rpg. He ranked seventh in the league in 3-pointers made with 50.
Forward Dorian Paki was also a steady contributor, averaging 9.1 minutes, 2.9 points and 2.3 rpg.
Both players continued to develop their game during the offseason and are expected to fill a larger role this year.
Juniors
In the frontcourt, Gabriel Bergeron, Niko Lutz and Jean Marc Togodgue gave Hobart a combined 15 minutes per game off the bench last year. Bergeron is rounding into his role and Lutz has expanded his game to the 3-point line. Togodgue is finally healthy after a leg injury robbed him of his first season on campus and limited him to just 12 games last year. In the backcourt, Axel Traina and Jaymon Pysnack have improved as shooters.
"I think they've all taken a step forward. It's a matter of getting to the games. They've had a great offseason, now we need to see what's going to transfer over." -- Thompson
Newcomers
Thompson welcomed four first-years and added a sophomore walk-on to bolster the team's depth. The Class of 2028 includes guard Monty Nedd (Ridgefield, N.J.), forward Allen Mordi (Watford, England), guard Justin Price (Yorktown, N.Y.) and 6-foot-9 center Andrew Hanna (Jackson, Wyo.). Mordi and Nedd were impressive in Hobart's exhibition game at Siena, logging 9 and 8 points, respectively. Sophomore Ashton Khoorchand was a team manager last season, but earned a roster spot with his relentless pursuit of improvement. He was a mainstay in the gym after games and practices and throughout the offseason, putting up shots to earn a jersey.
Preseason Poll
Hobart will begin the season with a target on its back. The Statesmen were chosen the preseason favorite in a vote of the Liberty League coaches. Hobart garnered six first-place votes and 77 overall points to beat out last year's runner-up, St. Lawrence. The Saints received the other four first-place votes and 76 points.
"It's tough to go on the road and win in our league. Everybody has improved and if we're going to achieve our goals of winning the league and returning to the NCAA tournament, we're going to have to find way to win on the road." -- Thompson
Schedule
Hobart's 25-game schedule features 13 home games and 12 road trips. After the Statesmen visit the Spartans on Saturday, they'll make their Bristol Gym debut Nov. 13 when they host St. John Fisher.
Liberty League play begins Nov. 19 with a visit to Troy, New York, to take on RPI. Hobart will host an in-season tournament with Keuka, Buffalo State and Penn State Behrend Nov. 22-23. The Statesmen will take on Union Dec. 6 in their conference home opener.
Hobart will wrap up the 2024 portion of its schedule with a trip to New York City to play SUNY Maritime on Dec. 30.
The new year will be dedicated to conference play, including Hobart Basketball's Alumni Weekend, Jan. 24-25 against St. Lawrence and Clarkson.