22-12; 11-5, second and Atlantic Sun Conference tournament
If you’re looking for a double-digit seed that can flat-out get buckets and put on a show, put on a Stetson hat. After making a run through the Atlantic Sun Tournament, the Hatters are storming the Big Dance behind the efforts of a top ten national scorer and well-constructed offense. Stetson may not be the stingiest defensive outfit ever – in fact, they’re not particularly good. Didn’t stop them from winning 22 games and winning their league, though – and the Hatters are out to keep the fun going.
The team’s undeniable star is Jalen Blackmon, one of America’s most dangerous long-range weapons. In his second season with the Hatters, Blackmon tossed in 109 triples: the sixth-highest total in the nation. He did so at a 38.9% clip while also displaying a more mature overall game than ever before, and Blackmon reached an elite level of consistency by scoring at least 20 points in 20 different games. When all the chips were down in the ASun tournament title game against Austin Peay, Blackmon’s heroics were on full display: the Hatters’ star went off for 43 points, including 14/17 at the charity stripe. Interestingly, 14/17 is a significantly worse performance than usual from Blackmon from the line – he made 91.0% of his attempts there this season, the 14th-best mark in the nation. With his ability to heat up and provide bucket after bucket, Blackmon is the type of scoring guard that teams love to have this time of year.
The Hatters support Blackmon with a trio of proven bandmates. Senior Stephan Swenson has started 103 games for head coach Donnie Jones, and does a great job of keeping Blackmon well-fed and the offense running smoothly. With more than 600 career assists, Swenson ranks fourth in ASun history, and the point guard from Belgium is Stetson’s all-time leader. He’s particularly good off the bounce from about 15 feet, and Swenson – the team’s second-leading scorer – has made a strong 46.6% of such attempts this year, per Bart Torvik. Alec Oglesby has broken out as a big-time secondary deep threat on the wing opposite Blackmon. He splashed 74 triples at a 40.7% rate this season, and Oglesby helps to head a Hatter artillery which has ranked 39th nationally in three-point percentage this year.
The post in DeLand, FL, got stronger when Josh Smith returned to the floor after the new year. With Smith and skilled center Aubin Gatertse holding things down plus rapidly-developing sophomore Treytin Thompson in reserve, the Hatters are not much mismatched against high major frontcourts. Unfortunately, Smith suffered a season-ending injury and won’t be available. With the focus up front now fully upon Gatertse, Stetson will go smaller and faster around him on occasion. The team’s second player from Belgium, Gatertse was terrific down the stretch, posting 14.3 points and 8.2 rebounds on 72.4% true shooting over Stetson’s final 14 games of the year. All of the Hatters’ bigs can shoot the ball some, but Gatertse is the most rim-focused of the three. He’s thrown down 47 dunks and made 76.7% of his tries inside, and Gatertse has converted 73.0% of 38 putback attempts among his 102 offensive boards.
Thompson has perimeter skill at 6’11”, and has proven that he also knows what to do with all of the quality feeds that Swenson directs into the paint. His range extends out to the three point arc, and when Thompson drives or quickly posts decisively, he can be hard to stop from getting his points. Tristan Gross, like Thompson, is no wide-body; he adds more functional length on the wing, though and has played more as his rookie season has gone on. Gross is a dangerous outside shooter and adds further scoring depth off the bench.
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