Men’s Hoop Faces Opener at Holy Cross, 18-Game GNAC Slate
2021-22 REGIS COLLEGE MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
WESTON, Mass. – Eager to return to competition, the Regis College men's basketball team is approaching a memorable regular season opener and the most conference games on the schedule in program history as the 2021-22 campaign begins next week.
Head coach Nate Hager enters his 14th season of competition (15th year overall) at the helm of the Pride, using the first few weeks of practice to acclimate a large group of first- and second-year players to the rigors of a collegiate basketball season. Zach Stevens joins the coaching staff as an assistant coach after both playing and coaching at Plymouth State University.
The team is led by fifth-year seniors Marc Trinidad (Bronx, N.Y.) and Jalil Wilkerson (New Haven, Conn.). Trinidad led the Pride in 2019-20 with 15.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game, setting the school single-season rebounding record with 237 boards. Wilkerson contributed 6.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game two years ago, including three straight double-digit scoring performances where he shot 58.3 percent from the field as Regis defeated Fitchburg State, Johnson & Wales, and Lasell.
Also back for the Pride are juniors Justin Evelyn (Uniondale, N.Y.), Zakaria Latifi (Holliston, Mass.), and Cameron Wilkins (Taunton, Mass.). Wilkins, a three-time GNAC Rookie of the Week in 2019-20, broke the school record for single-season field goal percentage as he shot 59.9 percent from the field, Evelyn hit four three-pointers during a 16-point performance in the Pride's victory over Curry, and Latifi hit all seven of his field goal attempts, including six three-pointers, to finish with 20 points against Rivier.
For the first time in program history, Regis will face a Division I school in the regular season, as the Pride head to Worcester to take on Holy Cross next Tuesday, Nov. 9, for a 7 p.m. tipoff. Tickets to attend the game are available by visiting GoHolyCross.com/tickets or by calling 1-844-GOCROSS (1-844-462-7677), and the contest is scheduled to be shown on the streaming service ESPN+.
The Pride will then participate in a tournament hosted by the University of Southern Maine, facing Lehman College Friday, Nov. 12, before taking on the host Huskies or UMPI Saturday, Nov. 13. The first of 18 GNAC games will see Regis head to Boston Wednesday, Nov. 17, to face Emmanuel College, the preseason favorite in the GNAC North division.
The home opener for the Pride is Saturday afternoon, Nov. 20, against Rhode Island College. After Thanksgiving, Regis enjoys a four-game homestand that features league matchups against Dean College (Dec. 1), Elms College (Dec. 4), and Saint Joseph's College (Dec. 8).
University of Saint Joseph, selected as the preseason favorite in the GNAC South division, will serve as Regis' opponent twice in January, first in West Hartford, Conn., Saturday, Jan. 8, before the rematch at Higgins Court Saturday, Jan. 29. The Pride will also face Albertus Magnus twice in the span of a week, hosting Thursday, Feb. 3, before traveling to New Haven, Conn., Wednesday, Feb. 9.
In the preseason coaches' poll for the GNAC South division, the USJ Blue Jays, ranked ninth in the D3Hoops.com Preseason Top 25 Poll, received 10 first place votes and 88 total points, followed by the Albertus Magnus Falcons with two first place votes and 79 total points. Johnson & Wales collected the last first place vote as it finished with 62 points for third place, ahead of Lasell (49 points), Regis (38 points), Dean (31 points), and Elms (17 points).
The top four teams in each division will qualify for the GNAC Tournament, with cross-divisional quarterfinals Tuesday, Feb. 22. The semifinals will take place Thursday, Feb. 24, followed by the championship game Saturday, Feb. 26, to determine the conference champion and recipient of the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
Regis will look to qualify for the GNAC Tournament for the third time since joining the league after securing a spot in the tournament two years ago with a late-season victory over Colby-Sawyer.