Bucknell University
Delaware
Men's Basketball Preview: John Griffin III Returns to Lead His Alma Mater's Ascent
11/4/2023 11:12:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The Bucknell men’s basketball program is looking to its past in order to enhance its future as the 2023-24 season is set to get going on Monday night when Delaware comes to Sojka Pavilion for the opener.
Last March, former Bison standout guard John Griffin III ’08 was installed as the program’s 22nd head coach. Griffin was known for his intensity and passion as a player, when he was part of Bucknell teams that won back-to-back Patriot League titles and knocked off Kansas and Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament in 2005 and 2006. Those same attributes have helped him rise through the coaching ranks, including a four-year stint at Bucknell, where he was part of two more title teams in 2017 and 2018, and the last four seasons as the associate head coach at Saint Joseph’s.
Now he is bringing his energy and enthusiasm to the head coach’s seat at Bucknell, where he is not only working hard to restore the team’s winning tradition, but also re-connecting the current group to the alumni base and the local community.
“It’s been surreal, but it’s also an honor and a privilege that I don't take for granted,” said Griffin of his return to his alma mater. “My fondest memories in the sport of basketball have come as a part of Bucknell’s storied program, and I fully understand the responsibility that comes with being the head coach.”
Griffin inherits a team that will be relatively light on experience, with a handful of returnees who will be asked to play more prominent roles, particularly in the leadership department, along with four brand new players to the program. The Bison must replace their top three scorers in Xander Rice (14.1 ppg), Alex Timmerman (11.4 ppg), and Andre Screen (11.2 ppg), along with veteran forward Jake van der Heijden (3.3 ppg). Rice (Monmouth), Timmerman (Winthrop), and van der Heijden (North Florida) are all playing as fifth-year graduate students this year, while Screen is now at Butler.
In their place are incoming transfers Quin Berger (Saint Joseph’s) and Pip Ajayi (Mercyhurst) and true freshmen Brandon McCreesh and Patrick O’Brien.
Jack Forrest, like Berger a Saint Joe’s transfer who played under Griffin before arriving in Lewisburg prior to last season, is one of three seniors on the roster along with Josh Adoh and Alek Delev. Forrest is the team’s top returning scorer at 10.1 ppg, with most of the production coming late in the year after his return from injury.
Juniors Elvin Edmonds IV and Ian Motta also have plenty of starting experience and will be counted on to provide both quality minutes and leadership, as will classmates Ajayi, already a popular figure in the locker room, and Josh Boscoe, who has had an outstanding preseason after rehabbing a shoulder injury over the summer.
In the sophomore class, Ruot Bijiek saw the most floor time a year ago, but Noah Williamson, Brady Muller, and Josh Fulton all could be ticketed for much bigger roles this season.
“The first thing that stood out to me is the collective competitiveness of the group,” said Griffin. “Right from the start, these guys have been very accepting of their new coaching staff, and they have been very open to learning new systems on both offense and defense. They want to be coached, they want to be challenged, and that makes coming to practice every day with this team a real joy.”
This young group will be tested early and often, with a school-record-tying nine November games on the agenda. The non-conference slate includes home games against Delaware, Southern Indiana, Princeton, Radford, and Saint Peter’s, while the Bison will travel to the likes of Duke and Penn State, as well as trips to Griffin’s hometown of Philadelphia to face Penn and La Salle.
“We’re basically throwing them right into the fire,” laughs Griffin. “We’re going to hit November pretty hard, and then December will be a great growth month for us heading into Patriot League play in January. By then, we will have a very good idea of what we need to strengthen, what we need to hone in on, and hopefully feel very confident about where we are as a team.”
Griffin and his staff have broken the season into six phases, and Monday’s opener marks the start of Phase 3. Back in August, the Bison got 10 full practices leading up to an overseas trip to Italy, where the team won three games but more importantly, had a chance to connect and experience a different culture. Those 10 practices helped the new staff get a jump start on installing new offensive and defensive systems and set their expectations for attention to detail.
“Phase 1 of this process was high intensity,” Griffin said. “We put the team under a lot of stress to see how they would react, and how they would process information. Phase 2 was less artificial stress and more learning and connecting. At some point, you have to break through as a unit and recognize that competitiveness, connection, discipline, and relentlessness are everyday items. And what they are learning is that they have enough in the locker room right now to be successful. There’s enough talent in there. So now they have to keep taking a step further every day, so that they are confident and ready.”
The squad hit the ground running in the preseason and got to test itself in a closed scrimmage against Buffalo and a charity exhibition game at Mount St. Mary’s, which benefitted former Bison Pat Behan ’10 and his battle with ALS. Griffin has stressed to his team the importance of making the most of every opportunity, whether it’s a practice, a lift, a game in Italy, or a game at Duke.
“Honestly, in every single opportunity that we have to either compete or practice, are the players improving in learning how to play with one another and connect on offense and defense, and also, are they learning how to win a game?” said Griffin. “Are we understanding what we're doing on offense? Do we have a purpose? And then when it’s essentially the critical moments in a game, are we identifying opportunities for certain players that we’re gonna get the ball to? And then defensively, are we reacting quick enough to an opponent making an offensive adjustment without us having to call a timeout. So by January we want to have a team that's very confident in themselves as a group that they can handle anything that comes their way, and they can get a good shot and they can get a stop.”
Let’s take a spin through the 2023-24 roster, by class.
SENIORS
Jack Forrest turned 23 in August and is the elder statesman on a fairly young squad. A graduate of Lower Merion High School, the same program that produced Kobe Bryant, Forrest started his college career at Columbia before transferring to Saint Joseph’s when the Ivy League elected not to play in 2020-21 due to the pandemic. Forrest battled injury during his two seasons on Hawk Hill but averaged 10.4 ppg in 14 games in 2020-21, including a 25-point game against La Salle and an 18-point showing against Kansas.
Forrest joined the Bison prior to last season, and after returning from an early season injury was one of the team’s most productive players. He scored in double figures in nine of his final 13 games, including a pair of 25-point games in wins over Army and American. He was outstanding in Italy, averaging 17.3 ppg in three contests, while shooting 51.6% from the field and 47.6% from 3-point range.
Griffin notes that Forrest is in the best shape of his career entering his final season, and at 6’5” with a physical build will be counted on to be a presence defensively and on the boards in addition to his natural scoring talent.
“Jack has the most in-game experience on the roster, and he’s shown that he can be very productive at a high level in Division I, having scored double digits in the Atlantic 10 previously in his career,” said Griffin. “So we're going to rely heavily on his scoring prowess and, he's going to have to be a consistent producer in the points category for us. But at the same time, he's also very physically gifted. He’s 6’5”, he's over 200 pounds. We're going to need him to rebound and defend at a high level and lead us in terms of having a winning mentality.”
Josh Adoh is a senior entering his fourth year in the program, and the native Californian has settled nicely into an important role as an energy guy off the bench. Adoh has shown that he can score in bunches in quick succession, he can rebound at both ends of the floor, and his high motor plays right into Griffin’s defensive philosophy.
“Instinctively, Josh has an aggressiveness that we need,” said Griffin. “Throughout the course of his career, Josh has shown that he’s a capable scorer and shot-maker. Right now, we’re helping him figure out how he best fits into our schemes offensively and defensively, so he’s comfortable on the floor. We’re going to rely on him to be an energy-giver. He’s seen a lot of basketball, and we have confidence in Josh. He’s growing into a really important role for our team.”
Sofia, Bulgaria native Alek Delev is just the kind of walk-on that every team needs. A team-first player who is great in the locker room, but who has also taken the time to work at his own game. Delev has improved significantly during his time at Bucknell and works hard every day on the practice floor.
“Alek’s maturity and his time spent in the locker room is just great,” said Griffin. “He helps balance us as a team and is widely respected for his consistency, his effort on the floor, his messaging in the locker room. Ultimately what we love as a staff about Alek is he’s looking to improve himself individually. He works tirelessly in the weight room, and when he gets his opportunity at practice, he makes sure that he’s doing his part in helping the team win. I often tell our team that if I say something wrong, Alek is the guy who can correct me. That’s out of sheer respect, he’s worked really hard for four years.”
JUNIORS
It feels like Elvin Edmonds IV is just getting started at Bucknell, but he’s already a junior and one of the team’s most experienced players. Edmonds has played in 63 of a possible 64 games over the past two seasons, including 43 starts. He played quite a bit at the point last season and averaged 6.3 ppg, and 2.0 apg while shooting 35.2% from the 3-point arc.
Edmonds was one of the team’s best players in Italy, when he averaged 15.0 ppg and 6.0 apg while hitting 17 of 28 shots from the field and 9 of 14 from 3-point distance.
Griffin’s challenges for normally reserved Edmonds are to see him up his aggressiveness in attacking the basket, and also become more vocal on the court.
“Elvin has a great deal of experience having come in as a freshman and playing right away, and now we need Elvin to play like an all-league player,” Griffin said. “He is certainly capable of doing that. He’s a very good shooter, and over the course of the summer since I’ve been here, we’re just trying to make him more consistently aggressive as a playmaker, as a decision-maker, and as a defender. He’s really taken to that type of coaching, and I’m very appreciative of that. We trust him to handle the ball and make the right decisions, and we’re pushing him to be louder from a volume standpoint, and a real leader on the defensive side, because he can be disruptive and has a great basketball IQ.”
Also looking to make a bigger impact in the backcourt this season is Josh Bascoe, who has played in 54 games, primarily as a reserve point guard, over his first two seasons. Bascoe spent the summer rehabbing after some shoulder surgery and did not play in the games in Italy, but he was outstanding in the October scrimmages, highlighted by a buzzer-beater at the end of regulation to force overtime at Mount St. Mary’s.
“Josh is a very capable scorer and is one of the players on our team who can create his own offense or create for others without the use of a screen,” said Griffin. “We’re going to rely on that individual ability to find an advantage within the course of a possession. The next step is for him to always make the right decision once he creates that advantage. Sometimes it’s going to be to go score, and sometimes it’s going to be to draw defenders and kick it. On the defensive side, we need him to be very disruptive, to make the other guy have to worry about where Josh is at all times.”
Ian Motta is a 6’6” wing who has seen considerable court time throughout his time at Bucknell so far. He has played in all 64 games over the last two seasons, including 27 starts last season, when he averaged 4.6 ppg and 2.3 rpg. Motta has shown signs of brilliance, most notably in an 18-point performance at La Salle last season, and he gives the new staff a versatile piece who can contribute in all phases.
“Ian is a junior, but I would say he still has a lot of untapped potential,” said Griffin, who watched Motta record 10 points and six rebounds in a strong performance at Mount St. Mary’s last week. “The first thing I thought of when I watched him on film was what type of defensive impact he could have for us. He’s rangy at 6’6”, he’s got great physical attributes, and now it’s a matter of whether he can be consistent night in and night out. Offensively, we’ve challenged him to find his spots. That could be driving the ball to the rim and finishing through contact, and that could be making an open jump shot.”
Pipeloluwa “Pip” Ajayi comes to Bucknell after two seasons at Mercyhurst and has made an immediate impact both on the court and in the locker room. The high-flying, 6’7” forward went 10-for-15 from the field on the Italy trip and will be counted on to rebound, defend, and score around the basket.
The Calgary native started every game for Mercyhurst last season and averaged 6.3 ppg and 6.9 rpg while ranking second in the PSAC in blocked shots with 45.
“I send Pip clips of [former NBA player] Kenneth Faried, because that’s the kind of player we need him to be,” said Griffin. “We are so fortunate to have found him, because he’s a leader, he is charismatic, he’s an energy-giver, and he’s a connector. On the floor, he’s becoming more comfortable and is using his voice. He’s just a leader by nature. I think when you enter a new program, you’re first trying to figure out where you fit. Now, he’s really comfortable with his teammates and with this being his program. I think athletically, he can be very effective in the Patriot League, but he’s going to have to hone in on all of the details to be consistent.”
SOPHOMORES
Blair Academy product Brady Muller saw action in eight games off the bench last season, totaling 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting. Muller brings intensity and a loud voice to practice every day, qualities that naturally endear him to Griffin, and the new Bison coach loves his mindset.
“Brady is a glue guy through and through,” said Griffin. “Every program needs a Brady Muller. He’s physical, and he’s completely bought into the program and the identity that we’re trying to create. He shows up every day with a competitive mindset. For us, he’s going be a screener and a shot-maker, and he has a very unique, instinctive ability to find offensive rebounds. His ability to get others open without dribbling will be really impactful for us, and I’m confident that he is going to have some impactful moments for us throughout the course of the season.”
Noah Williamson is an intriguing prospect in the pivot. He is a seven-footer with a giant wingspan but also has great feet. He appeared in only 17 games last season backing up Andre Screen and Alex Timmerman in the low post, but he made 11 of his 15 shots and all four of his free throws. With those two gone, Williamson has risen to the top of the depth chart, and Griffin has high hopes for the Latvian, who played his final year of high school ball under Jere Quinn at St. Thomas More in Connecticut. He has a green light to shoot from beyond the arc, and while sometimes unorthodox, he can nimbly maneuver around the basket.
“Noah is just an enormous human being, but the thing that really sticks out is just how mobile he is for a man of his size,” said Griffin. “He’s actually one of the fastest players on our team laterally. He has a great ability to move and stay in front of people when he’s defending on the perimeter. Bucknell has a long tradition of great centers, and he has a chance to be one of them. His ability to handle the ball and shoot on the perimeter makes us very unique offensively, because we can spread the floor in a true five-out fashion, depending on our lineup with him at the five. Our goal right now is to help him improve every single day so that his confidence is at its highest.”
Josh Fulton was limited to 5.6 minutes over 20 games last season, and he totaled 16 points and 16 rebounds. He averaged better than five boards per game on the Italy trip and had one double-digit rebounding night, underscoring the athleticism that he can bring to the team, especially defensively and on the glass.
“Josh has battled the consistency bug, but he hasn’t even played the first game of his sophomore year yet,” said Griffin. “He has the physical attributes that can make him an elite defender. He flies around and is really disruptive, and athletically he’s above the rim. He’s strong enough to withstand some of these bigger guards that we’ll see, and he’s quick enough to be impactful on the smaller guards. He can cut and drive it, and we’re going to need that.”
Iowan Ruot Bijiek brings the most game minutes of any of the sophomores. He played in all 32 games last season, starting three, and he averaged 3.6 ppg and 2.0 rpg in 16 minutes per game. Bijiek had 12-point nights against Holy Cross, Army, and Boston University, and he shot better than 47% from the field.
“The sophomore class is very interesting,” said Griffin. “It’s very versatile. You have the glue guy, you have the driver, you have the skilled seven-footer, and then you have Ru, who can do a little bit of all of that. He has improved dramatically throughout the course of the summer, and we’re going to rely on Ru to get us through some slower offensive segments because of his shot-making ability. He needs to be a reliable offensive option, because his best attribute is his ability to shoot from anywhere on the floor at a height that makes him hard to defend.”
Quin Berger was limited to only 11 minutes over five games at Saint Joseph’s last season, and he has already had an impact at Bucknell as a smart player, a vocal leader, and a potentially deadly outside shooter. He put that on display on the Italy trip, when he went 9-for-16 from the arc and was the team’s third-leading scorer at 9.7 ppg.
“Quin is highly competitive,” praised Griffin. “He didn’t really play much last year due to injury, and he’s still kind of figuring out his movements and things of that nature. He’s a jump shooter, he’s loud, and he’s competitive, and we need all three of those things to be successful. First and foremost, we need Quin to be healthy, because when he’s on the floor he’s a leader who elevates others.”
FRESHMEN
Patrick O’Brien is a 6’8” forward from northern Virginia who played his final high school season at Bishop O’Connell in the highly competitive Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. O’Brien has come in ready to learn, and while he is still adjusting to the size and speed in the college game, he can make a positive contribution when called upon.
“Pat O’Brien will do whatever it takes to be a positive factor in our program,” said Griffin. “He comes to work every day with the right attitude, and he’s got a good skillset. He can face up and shoot, and he’s an above-the-rim vertical athlete who can, for the most part, catch anything in the dunker spot and finish it. We’re coaching him to be ready to get in there and contribute when his time comes.”
Bronx native Brandon McCreesh is an adept ball-handler who can score and set up others. His 14 assists in Italy were second on the team behind only Edmonds’ 18, and he also hit 4 of 9 shots from the arc.
“McCreesh is like a utility guard for us right now,” Griffin explained. “He can play on the ball, he can play off the ball defensively. He is impactful, he’s athletic, he finishes near the rim, and he’s ready to shoot. He doesn’t make many mistakes and he’s a great cutter. Similar to Pat, we trust him to get in there and try to do anything he can to help us win.”
