TCNJ aiming to keep grip on first place

When the New Jersey Athletic Conference preseason poll came out, The College of New Jersey men’s basketball was selected fifth, and since that release, the Lions have been intent on proving the prognosticators wrong.

As the Lions prepare to make a second run through the league, they are doing a pretty good job in stating their case.

TCNJ (10-5, 6-2 NJAC), which has won five straight, is tied for first place with Montclair State and New Jersey City and can make it six in a row when they head to Kean (2-13, 0-8 NJAC) this Saturday for a 1 p.m. tip.

TCNJ coach Matt Goldsmith has been around this league long enough to know any road game is dangerous no matter what the record.

“We have to come ready to play and control our energy and effort levels,” Goldsmith said. “If we can do that, we will put ourselves in a good position. Consistency is key.”

The Cougars are still looking for their first conference win.

“Kean is much better than their record shows,” Goldsmith said. “They are young but have been starting two freshman guards since day one which means they are getting more and more experienced every day. They are well coached and will come with a plan. We have to be ready.”

The Lions have shown to be ready as Randy Walko leads them with 20.3 points per game, which is the second best in the NJAC. Hun product Niall Carpenter gets 11.8 and Ryan Jensen has been strong on the boards with 6.7 rebounds.

Travis Jocelyn, a sophomore who played in eight games last season, has been coming off the bench, except for three starts, and providing a spark. He equaled his career high of 18 points the last time out against William Paterson.

“Travis has been awesome this year,” Goldsmith said. “He has stepped into his role and played with confidence, especially as of late. I view him as our sixth starter. When we get production out of our bench like that, we have the ability to put up a big number on the scoreboard.”