Nine Teams, Nine Days – Over the next nine days we’ll take a look at each of the America East’s nine men’s basketball programs in a lead up to the 2023-24 season. The regular season begins on Monday, Nov. 6 with eight teams in action and the full schedule of contests can be found here.
A new era is here for NJIT basketball as first-year head coach Grant Billmeier takes the reins for the Highlanders following an impressive eight years as an assistant coach under Kevin Willard, first at Seton Hall and most recently at Maryland.
Billmeier inherited a team which struggled to finish games last year but was competitive throughout the season. He and his staff are looking forward this year and excited about the mix of veterans and newcomers.
“I’m ecstatic with the energy the guys have brought,” said Billmeier. “It’s a mixture of really old guys and really young guys but they really like each other and like being in each other’s presence.”
Among that returning group, Billmeier has been particularly high on what he has seen from Mekhi Gray since he took over the program. Last year as a junior Gray played in 30 games, starting 26, while averaging 6.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and was second on the team with 56 assists. Adam Hess is also back after averaging 10.7 points per game and shooting a lights-out 43.4 percent from beyond the arc with 59 made threes. Kjell de Graaf, will be used as a stretch big man, as the 6-10 graduate student shot 35 percent from three with 24 makes last season.
One transfer who should immediately make a difference for the Highlanders is Elijah Buchanan. At Manhattan he averaged 13.8 points in his first four games before he was lost to a season-ending injury. He has 85 career starts in college basketball and averaged 7.0 points per game in four seasons at Manhattan.
This group will be tested early and often, beginning with the season opener on the road at No. 13 Miami, who reached the Final Four a season ago. The Highlanders return home to face Saint Peter’s on Nov. 11 and also battle George Mason, FDU, Fordham and Wake Forest over the first five weeks of the season. NJIT concludes non-conference action at home against Morgan State on Dec. 31, before beginning conference play at home versus UAlbany on Jan. 6 at 3:30 p.m.
NJIT – Roster – Schedule
Head Coach: Grant Billmeier
2022-23 Record: 7-23, 4-12 (8th)
Postseason: America East First Round
Scoring Offense: 66.9 points per game (8th)
Scoring Defense: 72.7 points per game (6th)
Three-point FG%: 34.9% (3rd)
Returning Starters (2)
Adam Hess, G – 10.7 pgg, 2.2 rpg, 59 3pt FG
Mekhi Gray, G – 6.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 56 assists
Notable Newcomers (11)
Elijah Buchanan, G – transfer from Manhattan
Sebastian Robinson, G – freshman
Tariq Francis, G – freshman
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