Chicago, Ill. - After finishing the preseason without facing any opponents in scrimmages or exhibition games, the 2024-25 version of the Illinois Tech men's basketball team will finally get a chance to raise the curtain on their season when they travel to Albion, Michigan on Saturday to face the Albion Britons in a 4:00pm CT non-conference match-up.

The Scarlet Hawks, coming off a 6-19 performance last year, are looking to rebound this season and be in a position to return to the conference postseason tournament in February. 

The lack of preseason scrimmages wasn't an oversight by the team, but rather a calculated decision said Head Coach Terrence Gray.

"We didn't have any scrimmages or exhibitions this year, and that was by design," said Gray. "Coming off the season we had last year, our focus as a staff was to really hone in on who we are as a team and try to cement our foundation and fundamentals and really spend that extra time focusing on us. In doing that, we feel really good about the energy our team is bringing, where they are mentally. So we're excited to see their progress and where they stand as they get ready to prepare for Saturday's game."

After off-season departures and new, incoming players, the Scarlet Hawks roster for the 2024-25 season sits at 17 players, a decrease from last year's roster of 21 players. Among the four newcomers are three freshman and one graduate transfer.

Gray likes the mix of skill sets the newcomers bring to the table.

"We have a transfer, Ebone Junior. He's a a seasoned player who had some great experience at his previous university (Mount Aloysius College)," said Gray. "With him being a grad student and being around the game for quite some time, he brings game experience, some leadership, some great size and ability to our team. Jace Gooley is a freshman from Houston. He's really long, athletic, and just a natural scoring ability. He's a three-level scorer - he can make the three, get to the mid-range and finish at the rim, and a versatile defender. Miles Townsend has been extremely great for us, especially these practices that we've had in terms of his ability to lead vocally. As a freshman, most most people coming in are a little shy. But his personality is infectious. But he also has the ability to make plays. So those three guys in particular I think have brought quite a bit to to the table" Gray said.

Although the team lost five of their top ten scorers via graduation and departures, the Scarlet Hawks still have a core group of returners who will help offset the lost offense through progressions in their game.

Junior Garrison Carter returns and will be looking to improve on his 2023-24 season, where he led the team in scoring with 12.5 points per game, including shooting .340 from three-point range. Carter also averaged 4.4 rebounds per game and tallied 14 blocks.  Gray on Carter: "He's really taking it upon his shoulders to step even more into leadership role. He was already a pretty vocal guy, someone that the team felt like they could trust and could turn to in times of adversity. This season, he has been even more proactive in that role. With Garrison, the way he goes our team essentially goes. He brings energy every single day to practice. He's kind of that extended coach on the floor. So we're really excited about what he can do, as he has a proven track record."

Senior Dario Biaggi returns to add his mix of offense and defense. Biaggi averaged 8.1 points per game last season, which ranked fifth on the team. Biaggi had the highest three-point percentage on the team, converting on 49 of 108 opportunities for a .454 clip. Biaggi was also second on the team in steals with 24, while averaging 3.1 rebounds per game.

Senior DeAndre Vortes was sixth on the team in scoring last season, averaging 6.1 points per game. Gray on Vortes: "DeAndre has made a huge jump from last year to this year in what we've seen from him, so we're expecting big things from him."

Gray highlighted the contributions of graduate student Allan Watatani, and what he brings to the team from a leadership and experience standpoint. "Allan hasn't played much in terms of games" said Gray. "But he's a fifth year guy who has been around the program since I took over, so he understands what it is I'm always looking for. So his leadership ability, in terms of being able to run the show, run a team and get guys where they need to be, has shown great value into where we are right now."

Gray also mentioned looking forward to the progression of Nicolas Ortiz, Joshua Iguade, and Owen Walsh. Ortiz and Iguade were both freshman but significant contributors in their first-year season. Ortiz, a guard, started 6 of 24 games, and was third on the team in assists with 37 while adding 3.7 points per game and 2 rebounds per game. Iguade, a 6-10 forward, started 5 of 17 games played, averaged 3.4 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game, and was a force on defense, leading the team in blocks with 20. Walsh, a junior guard/forward, played in 15 games, and even though he only played 101 minutes on the season, Coach Gray would not hesitate to bring in Walsh during key moments of a game to help out on both ends of the floor, or for certain matchups.

Overall, Gray and the staff have been pleased with how the team has come together heading into the season.

"From our perspective, as a staff, what we've seen from this group is they really enjoy playing for one another," Gray said. "There's been a lot of selflessness and positive attitudes around. They have a lot of fun on the floor doing the right things for each other and competing with each other. This team has been so much fun to coach. They keep us as a staff on our toes, but in a good way, in a great way. There's a lot of different personalities, personalities that are jelling together. I find myself and even some of the other staff members laughing a lot more, trying to find points to compete with the guys in a fun way. The way they take to our coaching has been phenomenal. So It's been great."