Amid one of the worst campaigns in program history, the Stony Brook men’s basketball team may have gotten hot at the right time.

After extreme roster turnover this past offseason, it was clear that this year might be a tough one for the Seawolves. While competing among the top teams in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) might have been an unrealistic expectation for head coach Geno Ford’s squad, Stony Brook’s struggles and reaching the depths that it has this season was not on most cards’ either.

In the 2024-25 CAA men’s basketball preseason poll, the Seawolves were picked to finish ninth by opposing league coaches — a ranking that, while not ideal, was reasonable given the team’s roster talent. However, despite the modest expectations, Stony Brook fell short of even those, finishing the regular season in 13th out of the 14-team conference.

Overall, the 13th-seeded Seawolves finished the regular season 4-14 in league play and 8-23 overall. Although it will face 12th-seeded Delaware — who defeated Stony Brook back on Jan. 16 in the sides’ only matchup this year to this point — on Friday at 2 p.m. in the 2025 CAA Championship’s First Round, it will enter the matchup at CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C. with some momentum.

For the first time all campaign, the Seawolves won consecutive contests this past week. They beat Hofstra — completing a Battle of Long Island sweep — and Elon in front of their home fans at Stony Brook Arena.

Despite those recent victories, Stony Brook faces a daunting challenge in these playoffs. To secure a miraculous bid to the 2025 NCAA tournament by way of the CAA’s automatic allocation, the Seawolves will need to win five games in five days. If it manages to defeat the Blue Hens, Stony Brook will advance to the Second Round to play fifth-seeded Campbell — who destroyed it at Stony Brook Arena on Jan. 23 — on Saturday.

Though unlikely, this hypothetical run will most likely be spearheaded by guard C.J. Luster II, the Seawolves’ best player from the 2024-25 campaign thus far.

Luster II — one of three JUCO transfers Stony Brook brought in during the offseason and the only to pan out — stands out as a rare bright spot in what has otherwise been the weakest offense in the conference, as the Seawolves average just 66.2 points per game.

Aside from its free throw percentage (74.9%) — where Stony Brook ranks third in the league — it struggles in every other aspect offensively. The Seawolves place 12th in the CAA in field goal percentage (41.2%), 10th in three-point percentage (33.4%), 12th in assists (11.39) and sixth in turnovers per contest (11.8) as well as last in assist to turnover ratio (0.97).

Despite Stony Brook’s lack of cohesion on that end of the floor, Luster II has still managed to shine in his first campaign at the Division I level. The sharpshooter leads the Seawolves in scoring, averaging 16.4 points per game, and is eighth in the conference on a 427/.421/.872 shooting line. He sits second in the league in three-point percentage and fourth in free throw percentage and threes made per contest (3.2).

Luster II’s backcourt duo has also impressed this year. Guard Collin O’Connor — a true freshman — was thrust into the starting point guard role right from the start of his collegiate career. Although he has naturally experienced some growing pains, O’Connor has been solid as the Seawolves’ orchestrator, registering a team-high 3.2 assists per game — which ranks 10th in the CAA — and 1.3 assist to turnover ratio — good for 13th in the conference. 

With Stony Brook’s lack of depth at the guard position, O’Connor is rarely on the bench. He is 10th in the league in minutes per contest (33.3) and has used his time on the floor to contribute in other ways as well. Alongside his playmaking prowess, O’Connor is putting up 7.8 points per game, although on a rough .374/.306/.714 triple slash.

Two other guards, who were anticipated to play key roles for the Seawolves this season, have failed to meet expectations. On one hand, guard Joe Octave was brought in as a transfer from Holy Cross in hopes that he could fill much of the void left by the departure of guard Tyler Stephenson-Moore, who exhausted his eligibility following the 2023-24 campaign.

Instead, Octave struggled with his shot. While he averaged 13.3 points per contest this year, he did so on a .351/.208/.723 slashline. On top of that, he missed the team’s last 11 games leading up to the CAA Championship with a lower-body injury and is unlikely to return for the playoffs.

Conversely, before Luster II’s arrival, guard Jared Frey was Stony Brook’s premier threat from beyond the arc. However, his three-point shooting percentage has dropped this season, from 36.8% to 34.1%, and he has appeared in just 21 games due to ongoing injury concerns. Most recently, Frey has also been dealing with a lower-body issue and is listed as day-to-day. Nonetheless, if he is able to go on Friday, the Seawolves will gain an 8.3-point-per-game scorer and their second-best shooter.

Unlike its backcourt, Stony Brook’s frontcourt is relatively deep. Leading the way is its lone returning starter from last season, forward Andre Snoddy, who has taken a huge step forward in this campaign.

The Seawolves’ best rebounder and defender from a year ago, Snoddy has been called upon to contribute more offensively due to the departure of key players. He has stepped up, especially as of late in the absence of Octave. Overall, Snoddy is averaging 9.3 points per contest — and 14.6 over his last 11 outings — on a .447/.302/.722 shooting line. He plays 32.3 minutes per night, ranking 18th in the CAA. 

As for his rebounding, Snoddy leads Stony Brook with 8.1 boards per game, placing fourth in the conference. However, as a team, the Seawolves are not a great rebounding group, sitting 12th in the league in total rebounds per contest (33.2). They rank ninth in offensive rebounds (10.5) and dead last in defensive rebounds (22.8) per game across the conference’s leaderboards.

Stony Brook also has several defensive weaknesses, but Snoddy remains its top defender. He leads the team with 20 blocks and is 21st in the CAA in blocks per contest (0.6). Snoddy has also registered 17 steals this season.

The Seawolves have the fifth-worst defense in the conference, as they allow 73.9 points per game for a -7.7 differential, which is the worst in the league. Stony Brook ranks last in the CAA in opponent field goal percentage (47.3%) and second-to-last in opponent three-point percentage (35.6%). It is also second-to-last in blocks (2.13) and steals per contest (5.16) within the conference. The Seawolves’ turnover margin (-1.94) is 12th in the league.

Assuming Octave is out on Friday, forwards Nick Woodard and Ben Wight will likely round out Stony Brook’s starting five, even if Frey is available. Woodard — along with forward Jeremiah Nyarko, who has mostly seen action in garbage time and, thus, is unlikely to play in the playoffs — represent the Seawolves’ other two JUCO transfer acquisitions.

Woodard was recruited for his scoring ability but has mostly struggled in this campaign. He has yet to carve out a real role within the Stony Brook team, averaging only 5.0 points per game on a .366/.239/.700 triple slash. Despite this, the Seawolves’ thinness has propelled him up the pecking order and into a starting role in the team’s last three contests.

Contrarily, Wight has been a starter for Stony Brook since day one. A transfer from Toledo, he is the most prototypical center on the Seawolves’ current roster, despite being listed as a forward. Wight has posted 8.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest this year as Stony Brook’s primary paint threat.

Off the bench, forwards Quin Gorman and Leon Nahar can be expected to appear on Friday. The former, another true freshman, has seen increased playing time recently due to the Seawolves’ injury bug. Meanwhile, Nahar, standing at 6-foot-10, is Stony Brook’s tallest player, but has adapted his game this season to become a big-man shooter. The two are averaging 6.5 and 7.9 minutes per game this campaign, respectively, and have not put up notable stats.

Guard Sabry Philip is also managing an injury but practiced on Wednesday and Thursday, aiming to be available. With guard Toby Onyekonwu sidelined for the entire year following knee surgery in the offseason, Philip is the Seawolves’ best defensive guard, although his offensive contributions are limited. 

Stony Brook’s 11-man band will look to replicate last campaign’s CAA Championship Cinderella run, which heartbreakingly ended with an overtime loss to Charleston in the title game. However, it holds less resources this time around.