The Newcomers:
C Marek Koltun – 6-10, 265 lbs – Caravel Academy (Bear, DE)
Koltun, a native of Krakow, Poland, is a project for Fran O’Hanlon. Koltun first played basketball at age 14. Koltun seemed to begin learning to harness his size on the court last year, posting several triple-doubles (of the point/rebound/block variety). Koltun is taking a huge step in quality of competition from Delaware schools to the Patriot League.

SG Michael Gruner – 6-1, 180 lbs – Walt Whitman (Bethesda, MD)
Gruner is a scorer who played a big role in his team’s Maryland 4A state title, scoring 19.9 points per game in a low-scoring league. Gruner can shoot well from the mid-range and behind the arc.

SF Jesper Andersson – 6-7, 190 lbs – Ebersteinska Gymnasiet (Norrkoping, Sweden)
Andersson can shoot well, which has the potential to cause matchup problems given his height. Scouting reports give little indication of what he can do on the court besides shooting, but his weight seems to indicate he will struggle playing away from a wing position.

PF Andre Hines – 6-7, 215 lbs – Solebury (Bucks County, PA)
The Denver native Hines played a well-rounded game at Solebury Prep, posting per-game averages of 10.2 points, 11 boards, 3 blocks and 3 assists. Hines is the most polished of O’Hanlon’s freshmen, a legit powerhouse rebounder and good defensive player.

The Fit:
Lafayette has a glaring, immediate need for a frontcourt presence, and Hines seems most likely to fill that need early in the year. He will be in the mix with Ted Detmer and Everest Schmidt, and will be asked mainly to grab rebounds and play defense while most of the offense comes from the backcourt.

Andersson and Koltun will be asked to put in a bit of court time this year, especially if injuries hit, but their season will be mostly spent developing secondary skills and learning the system of play. Koltun will be of some use in offering five fouls per game and a large body to plant in front of the basket.

Gruner was going to be asked to help out at the point when it was thought that Andrew Brown wouldn’t be back, but with Brown staying in Easton, Gruner is far back on the depth chart. It probably won’t be until two years from now (after the graduation of wings Bilal Abdullah, Matt Betley and Paul Cummins) that Gruner plays a big role for O’Hanlon. When that time comes, he will be an offensive focus and form a dynamic backcourt with Brown.

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