Molloy ready for all challenges

Posted

There were many question marks surrounding the Molloy College men’s basketball team entering this season. Head coach Charles Marquardt sought to get a better idea of what he had in his roster, which features nine underclassmen and several new faces, so he made sure not to shy away from scheduling some difficult early tests for his ballclub. 

“I think we know where we’re at now,” Marquardt said. “We’ve had a very challenging non-league schedule, which we purposefully did to see where we are and to get ready for league play. We’ve taken on all the challenges in all our games so far, and competed pretty highly.”

Molloy has showcased some early promise during its opening seven non-conference games. The Lions played tough against Division-I Rutgers, defeated Florida Southern College down in Florida and picked up a thrilling overtime winner over Adelphi.

“I think the fact that we’ve been playing good basketball brings a lot of confidence to our guys,” Marquardt said. “Every day we’re working hard, and looking to improve. I think early on here we’ve put a pretty good product out there, and that’s what we’re going to stick with.”

While the Molloy coaching staff is still continuing to learn about much of their new roster, they probably have a pretty good idea of what they have in fourth-year seniors Charlie Marquardt and Jaylen Morris. Charlie is the son of Charles Marquardt, while Jaylen is the son of Lions’ assistant coach Pat Morris. 

“It’s certainly a different dynamic,” Marquardt said. “Charlie and Jaylen are our captains, so everything we do pretty much starts with them. They’ve gotten off to a pretty good start, and are both good players in their own right.”

Through seven games, Charlie Marquardt is leading Molloy with 23.7 points per contest, and is shooting over 47 percent from three-point range. Jaylen Morris has also been productive, averaging 18.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.

The team’s third senior is Mike Guzzardi, who joins the Lions as a transfer after playing three years at Dowling College. The six-foot-eight big man has started all seven contests for Molloy this season, and posted game averages of 12.8 points and 7.7 rebounds.

“At the five-spot he’s been pretty tough for us inside,” Marquardt said. “He’s really helped us with his rebounding and scoring.”

Freshman Nick Corbett has gotten the opportunity to run the point for the Lions in his first season with the club. The Staten Island native has filled the role nicely early on, dishing out a team-high 4.1 assists per game, while also adding 8.6 points per game. 

Other starters for the squad this year have been sophomore forward Mike Torre, sophomore forward Derrick Okunpolor and freshman Josh Dennis. Of the three, Torre has received the most playing time, and is averaging 7.7 points in 17 minutes per game this season. 

Sophomore guard Curtis Jenkins has thrived coming off the bench for Molloy, and has contributed in all facets of the game. He has produced 8.0 points, 1.9 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game. The Lions’ early results seem to indicate that they are an Improved team from last year, but Marquardt is making sure his group does not look too far ahead.

“We brought in new guys, so it takes time to bring everything together,” he said. “I think if we’re going to have some success, it’s going to be reliant on us being consistent game in and game out, and playing really smart and tough all the way through.”