by Zach D'Amico, Sports Information Student Assistant

The Saint Vincent College men's basketball team won 16 games last season, which, for most teams in the President's Athletic Conference, would have been reason to celebrate. 
            
But for head coach DP Harris and his team, winning 16 games is considered a "down year."
            
"16 wins someplace else and you're celebrating," Harris said. "That's not what we do here."  The Bearcats (16-10, 13-5) finished third in the PAC regular season standings, but fell, 80-78, to No. 6-seeded Geneva College in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. 
            
Since the 2012-13 season, coach Harris and the Bearcats have won four PAC titles.
            
"We could stand around and jump up and celebrate all the championships that we have won here…and we've won a lot of them. But we are only as good as the year in front of us," Harris said. 

Saint Vincent features two seniors on its roster in Tom Kromka and Mike Simmons. Kromka, a first-team All-PAC selection, started in 25 games last season and averaged a team-high 11.3 points-per-game.  "(Kromka) is one of the best leaders, not just a basketball player but as a student who has come here.  He's a community leader as well. He is exactly what college sports are about," Harris said.

Simmons, a four-year member of the Bearcats men's basketball team, appeared in 25 games last season making three starts. He also made 22 threes which was tied for second-most on the team. 

"(Simmons) I think has finally found his own identity and he's been playing fantastic. We're really excited for him," Harris said. 

The Bearcats will also rely on junior guard Josh Duda from behind the arc. Last season, Duda shot 49-percent from downtown, knocking down a team-high 26 three pointers.   "I don't think there's two better shooters in the league. Those guys can shoot it from a distance," Harris said. 

One of the biggest challenges this year's team faces will be replacing four of the regular starters from last season, including Matt D'Amico and Jason Capco who were two of the team's top scorers. 

"Every year is a totally different process and a different journey. I think that the guys we added were much more athletic than we were last year," Harris said. 

The Bearcats certainly added some height to their roster this season. New additions to the team include Ryan Dutton, a 6-foot-5 sophomore who transferred to Saint Vincent after playing at Division II California University of Pennsylvania last season, and Trevoris Waugh, a 6-foot-6 junior from Wallace State Community College.

Harris also expects his team to adopt a new style of play.  "I think we are going to play a lot faster than we played last year… We put last year in the rear-view mirror and we don't think about that too much," he said. 
            
Saint Vincent kicks off the 2018-19 season with a home-opener against Carlow University on Friday, November 9.