Three years ago, Conn. College men's basketball coach Tom Satran brought in a trio of new recruits - center Charles Stone, forward Jeff Young and guard Christian Mosley - hoping to turn around a program that had finished dead last in the NESCAC and 5-18 overall the year before.
Unfortunately for the Camels, 2004-05 looked strikingly similar to the previous season. Satran's team started off 0-7 and never recovered, turning in an identical 5-18 record and failing to make the NESCAC Tournament.
The fact that Conn. College is just three years removed from that horrifying season is what makes this winter all the more impressive.
After once posting consecutive five-win seasons, this year's Camels have already matched that total - they're 5-1, making a bold statement about a potential return to glory in New London.
"We've been getting a little bit better each year, up to this one," Satran said. "Everyone is in great shape - they've been working very hard, all the way back to the summer. We've been playing very well and enjoying the benefits."
Stone is the backbone of the Camels' squad, as he has been throughout his four years at Conn. College. Three years ago, the 6-foot-6 big man was the NESCAC's co-Rookie of the Year alongside Amherst point guard Andrew Olson - now, Olson is the reigning NCAA Tournament MVP, and Stone is a tri-captain leading the Camels back into the NESCAC spotlight.
Stone is not only a scoring machine - he also led the Camels in assists last season and is poised to do so again. "He's really gotten so much more versatile on offense," Satran said of the tri-captain. "His ability to handle the ball and get shots for others is what really makes him special. He's like a point guard, even though he plays the center position."
The numbers don't lie. Stone is in the NESCAC's top 10 in points, rebounds, assists and field goal percentage - and in blocks, he's number one. He averages 15.8 points a game, while his classmates Young and Mosley have chipped in 13.3 and 11.2, respectively. And off the floor, the three seniors have offered leadership to the rest of the squad.
"Charles Stone is great," said junior Billy Karis, a three-year starter at the point. "He's a really vocal guy; he gets everybody going in practice, and he really brings the team together. Jeff Young is a character - he keeps guys loose - while Christian Mosley is a pretty quiet kid, who leads by example."
Satran brought in five freshmen this fall to augment his veteran talent. The rookie class has added much-needed depth to a bench that hasn't been among the NESCAC's deepest. So far, swingmen Scott Seidor and Dean Lampe have led the way, with each averaging over 10 minutes a game, while the other three have each put in the work to keep up.
"Our freshman class came in and instantly started working hard," Mosley said. "They came into the offense very quickly, and our offense isn't the simplest thing to run ... They came in and were willing to take whatever role we needed to assign them."
With a trio of starting guards in Karis, Mosley and sophomore tri-captain Shavar Bernier alongside a post duo of Stone and Young, the Camels' starting five has fueled the program's resurgence. But the way this team has dominated the early season - including a 33-point spanking of Eastern Conn. on Nov. 25 and a 26-point win over New England College on Saturday - it's clearly more than just five guys. A third bench scoring option has emerged in junior Ulises Veras, who dropped seven points against NEC Saturday, and all of the Camels' reserves are meshing well with the team's starters.
"Over the years, we've had teams where the fellas didn't really gel as well as we wanted," said Mosley, now a tri-captain. "But right now, the freshmen that come into the program are merging with the older fellas well. The chemistry's a lot better than it ever has been. We're a lot more comfortable with each other."
But for the Camels, the season doesn't really get going until they tackle the meat of their NESCAC schedule. The conference slate kicks off with a Jan. 19 matchup against in-state rival Wesleyan, and until then, this team still has work to do.
"I don't feel like we're playing at the NESCAC level yet, but we're not at that point in the season yet, either," Karis said. "I think we could have a good year ... This could be our year, if we just keep working hard and stay focused."
"I feel like we're going to bring another aspect to the NESCAC that there hasn't been in the past," Mosley said. "We're going to be a lot stronger, and teams should be aware that we're going to be stronger."
And for Mosley, who's been here to weather three up-and-down years with little success in the competitive NESCAC, there's no time like the present.
"I think this is the most focused team that I've been on in my four years here," he said. "We mapped out our goals before the season even started, and we're extremely determined to follow through on them. With a lot of the backbone of our team being our senior leadership, we're ready to take it to another level. We're not taking any game lightly - we're coming for blood. We want to make a name for ourselves."
