The men’s basketball roster may list four seniors, but at Saturday’s Senior Night ceremony, only two will be honored.
Yesterday, seniors Darren Smith and Andreas Schreiber confirmed their decisions to return to the men’s basketball team next year.
While both players are still waiting for an official response from the Ivy League regarding their eligibility to play next season, they expect to be back with the team and have planned their course load for next semester accordingly.
“I’ve done the paperwork,” Smith said. “I haven’t gotten a response from the Ivy League but as far as school-wise, I’ll be back. That’s the definite, I’m here for next year academically.”
According to Schreiber, the decision from the League generally comes in the final month of a player’s senior year.
The two seniors may be eligible for an extra year with the team due to extended time off the court while they were injured.
Smith started 10 of the Quakers’ final 11 contests his freshman year, including the squad’s NCAA Tournament game against Texas A&M.; But in the season-opener against Drexel the following year, he fractured his kneecap and missed the rest of the season. His rehab for the injury suffered a setback, and he missed all of his junior campaign as well.
Smith was voted by his teammates as a co-captain at the beginning of the season and regained his starting role. His productivity has not yet reached the level that he sustained his freshman year, however, and this weekend Smith lost his spot in the starting five to junior Dan Monckton.
The decline of his role on the court has not affected his plans for next year.
“It hasn’t made me question it at all,” Smith said. “Obviously it’s a downer for me but I’m gonna keep playing through it. It won’t affect me next year at all.”
At center, Schreiber worked his way into the starting lineup his sophomore year, averaging 5.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while leading the team in blocked shots. However, he suffered a torn labrum during a preseason practice his junior year and played in only two contests before undergoing surgery.
He started the first two games this season, but re-injured the shoulder and has been ruled out for the remainder.
With only two seniors departing and a recruiting class that now tallies at least seven, the Quakers’ roster could be 22 players deep next season.
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