Chemistry, camaraderie
Mids believe they have what it takes to get 1st NCAA Tournament berth since 1998
Members of the coaching staff think the seeds for success for the 2020-21 Navy men’s basketball season were sown during the summer.
That would be easy to understand in years past when players stayed in Annapolis for most of the summer to train and develop. Current captain Cam Davis has set the standard for giving up leave time to remain at the academy working on his game.
But this summer was vastly different. All the Navy men’s basketball players were stranded at home because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Navy lost to Boston University in the quarterfinals of the Patriot League Tournament on March 5. Players scattered a few days later since the Naval Academy was on spring break, and they didn’t return for months as the academy went to virtual learning for the remainder of the spring semester.
Coach Ed DeChellis and his assistants would not see the players in-person again until they returned to the Naval Academy in August.
“As a staff, we immediately got together and started brainstorming ways to keep everyone connected,” Navy assistant Jon Perry said. “When a lot of people in the coaching profession were not really doing much with their teams, we stayed in constant communication with our players.”
DeChellis, in his 10th season at the helm, wanted to make sure the players were adjusting academically to online learning, staying positive mentally and remaining
motivated physically.
“I didn’t want the guys to get out of the daily habits they develop here at the academy,” he said.
To keep the players engaged, the coaching staff utilized a wide range of methods such as having notable guest speakers and implementing various team-building exercises.
Players were asked to name their personal hero and explain why. Or to name someone from history they’d like to have dinner with and why.
Assistants talked about the highlights of their life. DeChellis was honest about some of the hardships he’s gone through.
“We all opened up about ourselves. Everyone had an opportunity to discuss some very personal things,” DeChellis said.
Of course, basketball was involved with the assistants preparing video review sessions that covered offense, defense, rebounding, ball-handling and other key elements of the game.
Perry created a spreadsheet that was used to determine which coaches called which players each week. That schedule rotated from week to week with the goal of engaging in meaningful conversations.
“For Navy basketball, the virtual realm became very important,” Perry said. “We basically had an online basketball class over the summer. It was small doses — 15 or 20 minutes here or there — and we pretty much had lesson plans.”
Strong family atmosphere
There was a significant by-product of those summer exercises. This Navy men’s basketball team developed an unbreakable bond that has led to success on the court. DeChellis and staff have long touted what they call “Navy Team Family,” and this season that slogan has become reality.
“Something about this group just feels different. We have an incredible group of brothers on this team and everyone has each other’s back,” senior forward Alec Loehr said. “Navy Team Family is what we preach, and this season it really does feel like a family.”
Navy completed the regular season with a 15-2 overall record and a 12-1 mark within the Patriot League. The Midshipmen finished the regular season on a five-game winning streak to secure top seed for the Patriot League Tournament.
On Sunday, after completing a weekend doubleheader sweep of Loyola Maryland, the Navy players cut down the nets at Alumni Hall to celebrate what they thought was the program’s first regular season championship since 2000.
“This squad has tremendous chemistry and camaraderie. These kids have a genuine love for one another, and they play hard for each other,” said DeChellis, who was named Patriot League Coach of the Year this week. “It’s just a very tight-knit group and the personalities just mesh really well with this team.”
Summers supported that viewpoint and said there have been no distinctions between classes within the team. Seniors hang out with sophomores and juniors look after the plebes like little brothers.
“I honestly think our success this season comes from our relationships off the court. What we do hanging out back in Bancroft Hall has helped this team get where it is today,” junior guard Greg Summers said. “Our relationships enable everyone to hold each other accountable on the court. We have that bond and therefore can call each other out.”
The Patriot League reiterated this week there will be no regular season champion for the 2021 basketball season. Rather, the winner of the Patriot League Tournament will be considered the sole champion.
But that news does not damper the enthusiasm created by the best Navy men’s basketball season during the DeChellis era. The Midshipmen are far from satisfied and are now on a mission to earn their first NCAA Tournament berth since 1998.
Navy begins its quest to become an automatic qualifier when it hosts Loyola Saturday at noon in the Patriot League Tournament quarterfinals at Alumni Hall.
“We have another chapter to write to this season,” DeChellis said.
Solid leadership, depth
Cam Davis, the team captain, has been the unquestioned leader on and off the court. The 6-foot combination guard was named first team All-Patriot League this week after leading the Mids in scoring and rebounding.
Consistency has defined Davis, who has scored in double figures in all but one of 15 games. He poured in a career-high 34 points to lead a come-from-behind road victory over American and scored the game-winning basket against Bucknell the first weekend of Patriot League play.
“All the players look to Cam and rally around him. He’s the veteran who has been through so many close games, made so many clutch plays,” DeChellis said. “I think Cam’s confidence gives the other guys confidence. He’s not afraid to take the big shot or make something happen in a critical situation. He’s just been a very impactful player in so many ways.”
Davis has also set a shining example with his superb work ethic in practice and the weight room. He’s also been a model midshipman academically and militarily while serving as the Athletic Teams Commander, commonly known at the academy as the “captain of captains.”
“Cam is the hardest-working player on the team. When the captain is coming to the gym early and staying late to work on game, that is a tremendous example for the younger players,” assistant Emmett Davis said. “Cam has raised the bar for the other players to reach.”
Davis practically willed Navy to its biggest win of the season, a shocking upset of Georgetown in Washington, D.C. Davis made shot after shot down the stretch and finished with 28 points as the Midshipmen defeated a Big East Conference member for the first time since 1996.
“Our whole mantra since last spring was to do something special. When we beat Georgetown on its home court, that raised the collective confidence level,” DeChellis said. “They knew if this team played to its full potential, it could do something special this season. That was a very important game because it validated that when we play together and trust each other, we can beat anyone.”
Strength and conditioning coach Brandon Spayd along with team trainer Hannah Jaussen played prominent roles in implementing a unique plan, which focused on rest and recovery along with nutrition and hydration, for the team as it prepared for weekend doubleheaders featuring the same schools playing home-and-home games on Saturdays and Sundays.
Depth has been a big reason why the Midshipmen have fared so well. DeChellis has relied on a 10-man rotation throughout the season and has gone deeper down the bench whenever players were missing due to injury or because of coronavirus protocols.
Navy beat archrival Army in the Star game without reserve forward Daniel Deaver then overcame a season-ending injury to the other top frontline backup in senior Luke Loehr. This past weekend, the Midshipmen swept the Greyhounds without Davis and starting power forward Richard Njoku, who were unavailable due to coronavirus contact tracing.
“I think the way we’ve been able to develop the depth over the course of the season has been tremendous,” Emmett Davis said. “Whenever one player has been unavailable or not performed well, other players have picked up the slack. Our depth has been tested throughout the season due to all the trials and tribulations of COVID.”
A strong junior class led by Summers, Njoku and swingman John Carter Jr. has provided Davis with a solid supporting cast. Summers is averaging 9.6 points and a teamhigh 6.4 rebounds. Njoku was named to the Patriot League All-Defensive team and is vastly improved on the offensive end.
Sophomore forward Patrick Dorsey has been a real revelation with his versatile play, emerging as a stat sheet stuffer after primarily playing on the junior varsity last season. Sophomores Tyler Nelson and Jaylen Walker have combined to capably man the small forward position.
“Every basketball season is a different puzzle and you’re trying to put all the pieces together and sometimes you can’t get them all to fit,” Perry said. “This season, we have put every piece in the right spot and that puzzle has been completed this season, which is why we are where we are.”