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#Post#: 46906--------------------------------------------------
2025-2026 Season in Retrospect
DIR By: Oakes
Date: March 24, 2026, 1:10 pm
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I thought I would take a moment to iron out some of my thoughts
a few weeks after the conclusion of the 25-26 season, many of
which thought I know others have shared and expressed. This
thread should not be so much about next year and should be more
focused on how the team and program performed this season and a
place where we can express some thoughts.
Going into the portal last year, I had low expectations of our
financial outlook after a truly rough 24-25 season where we had
the worst defense in team DI history and all sorts of other
roster issues. It was a mess. But I have to say I was very
impressed with the aggressive nature I saw from the program in
the portal. I do not have have figures in front of me, but it
felt like we were getting the quantity and quality of talent of
that of the top 5 programs in the CAA. But, initially of course,
it remained a mystery how this would all turn out.
I happened to be in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for my bachelor party
during portal season and was at my Air BnB when I got the
notification a guard who played for Milwaukee University signed
with Stony Brook. I didnt know anything about his game, but his
arena was right outside where I was staying and I thought it was
the oddest coincidence. We got two starting level wings in Erik
Pratt and Rob Brown -- with Pratt eventually asserting dominance
as the ball handler and leading scorer while Brown became an off
ball shooter on the wing. Pratt, whether this team excelled in
the conference tournament or not, seemed to me like he could
have the most complete game of any guard to come through the
program. I took my father in law to a few games this season and
the Charleston game was the first one I brought him to -- he
said Pratt was worth the price of admission alone. 39 pts that
night, as well as 30+ pts vs Northeastern and Hampton at later
points in the season. His ability to attack the basket was
unrivaled in Stony Brook history in my opinion, and his knack
for getting others involved and generating so many three
pointers for this team will be sorely missed. Stony Brook had
already begun to fall flat in the 2nd Monmouth loss before "it
happened" anyway, but it certainly did not help the momentum.
Apparently he is attempting to get another year of eligibility.
I dont think he will be able to, but if he does his value has
skyrocketed and it appears there is no chance he could remain
here in the off chance he gets another year. In conclusion -- He
was a terrific and unforgettable transfer portal addition by the
coaching staff.
Rob Brown slowly settled in almost exclusively as a spot up 3PT
shooter only kind of guy. I thought we would see more
versatility, but he did help on the defensive end at times when
quicker footed guards weren't blowing past him. He did have a
Kenan Sarvan-like green light from three, and while some of them
were bad shots I think he caught fire on several occasions and
was a terrific accent to Pratt's inside attack. Brown had 22 pts
in the Campbell elimination game. He graduates and I believe has
no longer eligible to play.
Andrej Shoshkikj, of course, ended up being the biggest bang for
the program's buck. He finished the season averaging 11 pts, 3
rb, 2 ast and 1 stl on 45% from deep. Shoshkikj blossomed midway
through the season once he gained his footing when he earned
more minutes after Colin O'Connor went down. He was a Lucas
Woodhouse-level threat from three. He was one of the CAA's top
freshman this year. We would love to have him here three more
years, but he will be price given his value in the portal is
likely to erupt after a huge season. I am not going to speculate
beyond that.
Richard Goods came to Stony Brook as a guy who barely got
minutes off of Hampton's bench last season, and Stony Brook were
forced to use a player who should be a PF as their starting five
and rim protector. He had some really strong performances,
mainly the 1st game vs Hofstra, the 18 pt game vs Charleston, 19
pt game vs Duquesne, 17 pt game vs Drexel. He was the most
athletic player on the team and had multiple of the coolest best
dunks of the season. But it didn't shroud him from the fact that
he would disappear offensively in more games than he would show
up in. Alot was asked of him by using him at the 5 this year,
but he just was not assertive enough to handle those
responsibilities. It seemed he was the first one to pack his
bags for the portal as he advertised his new agent on his social
media in February. Goods and Geno seemed be at odds down the
stretch of the season when he was pulled for Oleg Kojonets late
in games. I wouldn't be surprised to see him return to a program
in his home state in North Carolina.
Oleg Kojonets was an absolute rollercoaster of a player to have
on a roster. We were excited because he is 7-foot and played for
Nebraska and Wyoming. Blinded ourselves from the fact that
Wyoming's boards were thrilled to throw him away and just a few
games into the season he was turning over the ball at an
alarming rate. He had fans and myself begging for less Oleg
minutes. But lets be real. As scurvy-inducing as it was to watch
him out there, it was entertaining! He was, whether we can admit
it or not, our best rim protector. He had no hands, but he could
go back to the basket for a post move from time to time. Oleg
became a fan favorite despite the blemishes in his game. He will
be missed, as he has no more eligibility.
Ethan Simmon was another diamond in the rough portal addition
this offseason. He averaged 6 pts, 1 rb and 1 ast on 40% from
three off Stony Brook's bench after he transferred from New
Haven. Simmon came up big on multiple occasions while also being
a confident defender. Word on the street is he has one more year
of eligibility despite being a senior. It would appear he will
be a big part of the program's plans for next year if this is
the case.
Collin O'Connor was playing on a bad foot since the summer and
wasn't himself for weeks before he was officially shut down. He
was averaging just 7 pts, 2 rb, 2 ast and 1 st on just 29% from
three before he was shut down for good. O'Connor had surgery on
the foot in the winter and the specifics are still murky, but I
think its a fair to question whether he can be ready on Opening
Night in November 2026. What does the game of a healthy 20-year
old O'Connor look like on the basketball court? One source tells
me, we will be finding out.
Tomas Valentiny averaged 5 pts, 3 rb and 1 ast on 32% from three
during his freshman season off the bench this year. He provided
solid defense and competitive spirit off the bench, particularly
in the beginning and middle of the season. I was on the boat of
thinking that Valentiny was the more productive player to play
at the 4 over Gorman, until Valentiny pretty much disappeared
down the stretch of the season. I loved his spirit, but the team
needs more size from someone getting PF minutes.
Quin Gorman averaged 4 pts, 4 rb, 1 ast and 1 blk on 30% from
three during his sophomore season. He seemed to overtake
Valentiny as the more productive option at the four down the
stretch. But this duo at the four was the least productive part
of the roster, lets face it. Stony Brook needs to have a better
plan and more depth to get production out of this front court
going into next year.
Jonah Butler was probably the biggest fan favorite in the
building this season outside of Pratt. He didn't play as much as
others, but his minutes increased as the season went on. Butler
always seemed to put himself in the right place at the right
time, with a great sense of awareness of positioning himself off
the ball. As strong as he looked defensively and on the glass --
I kept finding myself thinking: " Didn't I read that he was a
deep 3PT threat in HS." I kept waiting for his 3PT breakout to
happen and it never came, but I think it is in him. Butler has
plenty of time to show us that he can unlock that part of his
game at this level.
Toby Onyekonwu, I am so sorry it never worked out. You came in
your freshman year as the little guy who was playing with his
head on fire. Injuries and road bumps in life have seen his role
with the team decrease gradually over his loyal four year career
with Stony Brook. I also appreciated Onyekonwu stepping in as
our enforcer vs Elon and other teams on occasion haha! It seems
like he might be able to swing another season of eligibility,
but he was honored on senior night. I would love to see him go
the Tanahj Petteway route and get big minutes at a smaller
program out in the country.
Geno Ford finishes the season with a 17-15 overall record and
9-9 in CAA play. The team started slow, got red hot in January
and the beginning of February, then spiraled at the end of the
season. It was not a bad season by any stretch, but it was
certainly a let down considering how well Pratt and Shoshkikj
were playing. I would give this staff a B in the portal. Pratt,
Shoshkikj, Simmon were all great finds. But the roster needed
more balance with some true size that everyone else in the CAA
level seems to have. The program essentially walked into the
season with Oleg guarding the paint, and a giant black hole of
nothing behind him if it didn't work out. Geno did a great job
developing Pratt and working with him to generate 3PTers for
this team, as they certainly needed it to mask their lack of rim
protection and rebounding. The European additions I hear are the
result of our new assistant coach Andy Hipsher who has
recruiting and coaching connections in Europe. He was a great
find by Shawn Heilbron and Geno Ford.
Stony Brook also finished 5th in the CAA in avg home attendance,
which is more than both Hofstra and Monmouth. For those saying
"we need more butts in the seat," they did a decent job! Lets
hope they continue to build on it.
But at the end of the day 17-15 is just another season that will
be lost in time, middle of the pack with no end of season
accolades to write home about. This was a better season than
most, but still not where this program wants to be if its going
to truly compete in the CAA. If you have guys like Pratt and
Shoshkikj playing at the level they were playing at, you need to
be able to put together a deep enough roster around them to not
waste it. I really liked where we were at with recruiting last
year, so I am excited to see what we can do in this portal with
more money added to the mix.
I'll end with this.
"The saddest thing in the world is wasted talent." -- Lorenzo
Anelo (Bronx Tale)
#Post#: 46907--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2025-2026 Season in Retrospect
DIR By: OldSeawolf
Date: March 24, 2026, 1:27 pm
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This was a great season summary/debrief, Oakes. I will add one
thing to the season recap -- after Checkmate's "retirement", you
did an unbelievable job stepping into his shoes and continuing
the great tradition that he started by providing superlative
pre-game and post-game analysis. You are a shining star in the
Seawolves' Men's Basketball Community! Kudos!
#Post#: 46910--------------------------------------------------
Re: 2025-2026 Season in Retrospect
DIR By: Chairman of the Board
Date: March 24, 2026, 9:06 pm
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agree with 100% of both posts above.
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