Navy Basketball Season Preview

Feb 8, 2014; West Point, NY, USA; Navy Midshipmen head coach Ed DeChellis yells to his players at Christl Arena. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

We head south into Annapolis as The Baltimore Wire’s college basketball preview continues. The Naval Academy is our next stop as we look at how the Navy basketball season looks to shape up.

Last season was pretty brutal, as the Midshipmen finished with a 9-21 record and guard Tilman Dunbar missed all but 10 games due to a suspension for a violation of academy rules.

The 2014-2015 season looks better than the last, but could still be problematic. Guard Michael Brown is out at the start of the season due to a broken jaw and sophomore Tim Abruzzo is out for the season with an ACL injury. Kendall Knorr is another player with some recurring injury issues.

Worth Smith and Brandon Venturini are two returning starters that should give the team some stability. Coach Ed DeChellis may have to do some serious roster juggling so the team doesn’t get lost early in the season.

The Patriot League Preseason Poll has the Midshipmen picked to finish tenth in conference.

Navy opens the season on November 14 against Michigan State in the Veterans Classic at Annapolis. Virginia Commonwealth will take on Tennessee in the opener of the Veterans Classic doubleheader. Navy will also play as part of the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament in Uncasville, Connecticut, as well as tough road games at Notre Dame and Providence.

The Midshipmen will also log some good coverage on television. The Veterans Classic will be on CBS Sports Network. Fox Sports 2, ESPN3 and the Campus Insiders streaming service will show some other games.

My prediction: 13-19 before the Patriot League Tournament