- Posted in All University
- Category: AthleticsCampus News
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, PA - When the 2020-21 Lincoln University men’s basketball team steps onto the court, the faces will look the same. However, under a new coaching staff, the players wearing the Lincoln uniforms will have a noticeably different feel.
- 2020-21 Lincoln University Men's Basketball Roster
- 2020-21 Lincoln University Men's Basketball Schedule
“The focus on working hard has been our primary emphasis,” said Lincoln University head coach Corey Lowery. “Not to take away anything from last year’s team, but we are focusing on the effort it takes to win each day. We are going to be much more focused on the defensive end. We have to be able to defend in the full court and all five guys on the court have to be able to defend with intensity and a purpose.”
Senior All-American Deaquan Williams (Camden, N.J./Camden) returns for his final season, but he is only the beginning of what the Lions have to offer. Lincoln brings back its top six scorers and 84 percent of its offensive production.
Williams is coming off a season in which he averaged a CIAA-high 11.2 rebounds per game, which was fifth nationally. His defensive (7.71) and offensive (3.45) per game rebound splits are both among the top-20 totals nationally in each category. He also led the team and the CIAA with 16 double-doubles on the season, which was seventh nationally, and had career-high and team-best 24 blocked shots. Williams was third on the team in scoring, averaging 12.6 points per game, and second on the team with 29 steals.
However, don’t expect the senior forward to roll into the season expecting the same production without a supreme work ethic.
“He is a workhorse,” said Lowery. “He is in the gym every morning at 6:30. He leads by example and isn’t the most vocal kid, and I am talking with him about being more vocal, but his ability to play above the rim, his ability to rebound, his ability to defend multiple positions, his ability to score at multiple levels; he has a lot of intangibles. He has a motor that just won’t stop.
“He is held to a higher standard,” Lowery continued. “Just because he is an All-American, I expect more work from him. I expect more leadership, I expect him to be more vocal, expect him to continue to work on his game, and expect him to learn two or three positions. So if he is going to have that status as an All-American, he has more pressure on him and more accountability.”
Junior Bernard Lightsey (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) returns after leading the team in scoring with 17.4 points per game on nearly 41 percent (92-of-225) shooting. He missed the first part of the season before playing in the final 17 games.
Junior Zahrion Blue (Princeton, N.J./Princeton) was second on the team with 15.1 points to give Lincoln a pair of bonafide scoring wing threats. Blue led the team with 104 assists and was also second on the team with 7.4 rebounds. Sophomore Deonta Dunlap (Baltimore, Md./Milford Mill Academy), who was named to the CIAA All-Rookie team, looks to diversify his offensive repertoire after launching 85 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. He finished with 8.3 points per game while shooting 31.2 percent (63-of-202) from the floor.
Sophomore Keynante Williams (Fredericksburg, Va./Rock Creek Christian Academy) is competing for his spot in the rotation in all three backcourt positions.
The three-headed competition at the point guard features a trio of newcomers in junior college transfer Korey Williams (Brooklyn, N.Y./LaSalle Academy/Hostos C.C.), freshman Tyrese Myrick (Westampton, N.J./Westampton Tech), and freshman Nasir Lett (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic).
Senior Jordan Camper (Chester, Pa./Chester), senior Markus Stevenson (Voorhees, N.J./Hillcrest Prep (Ariz.)/Angelina College) and sophomore Allon Johnson (Plainfield, N.J./The Patrick School) bring size to the Lincoln frontcourt. The 6-8 Camper averaged nearly averaged double figures with 9.8 points and pulled down 5.8 rebounds, while the 6-7 Johnson is expected to play a bigger role after averaging a shade over eight minutes a game in 20 appearances.
Sophomore Resean White (Suffolk, Va./Churchland) could push for minutes in the frontcourt rotation.
Junior college transfers Isaiah Miles (Brandywine, Md./Gwynn Park/Prince George C.C.) and Ja’Zere Noel (Woodbury, N.J./Woodbury/Jefferson University) will bring versatility to the lineup as they will find time on the wings and in the post.
With all of the offensive firepower returning, the Lions’ biggest room for improvement will come on the defensive end as Lincoln yielded almost 80 points per game.
“We want to be one of the best defensive teams in the country, and with that, comes a lot of hard work,” said Lowery. “Defense leads to offense. We want to get out and run, and you can’t run if you don’t defend. If you are not creating turnovers and not creating chaos so you can set up transition points … the way I coach, I hang my hat on how hard we defend.”
Lincoln plans to bring some ORDER to the program by outworking teams, outrebounding teams, defending, executing, and running. If the Lions can handle those five principles daily, Lowery expects “the winning to take care of itself.”
