EASTON, Mass. (Jan. 14, 2026) – The Stonehill men's basketball team heads out on the road to continue conference play over Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend against Mercyhurst (Jan. 17) and Saint Francis (Jan. 19).
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HISTORY vs. MERCYHURST
Stonehill is 2-1 against Mercyhurst in their last three meetings. The Skyhawks and Lakers split the season series last year with each school winning on their home court. Stonehill defeated Mercyhurst, 85-73, on February 15, 2025 with four Skyhawks reaching double figures.
Ethan Meuser and
Chas Stinson notched 14 and 11 points, respectively.
SCOUTING THE LAKERS
At 2-2 to begin conference play, the Lakers find themselves at the top of the conference in scoring defensive, allowing just 66.6 points per game. Qadir Martin sits atop the NEC in blocks with 43 on the season, averaging 2.5 per game. They began the year with a 73-65 win over Loyola Chicago on November 6. Bernie Blunt III, who is third in scoring averaging 16.4 points per game, led three in double figures against the Ramblers with 27 points, including shooting 12-of-15 from the charity stripe. Qadir Martin and Deshaun Jackson, Jr. followed up with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Mercyhurst is coming off a one-point, 70-69, victory over Wagner last Saturday. Blunt III was perfect from the free throw line, knocking down 10 of 10 to finish with 23 points against the Seahawks.
HISTORY vs. SAINT FRANCIS
Stonehill leads the series against Saint Francis, 4-3, with the Skyhawks winning the last three meetings. The Skyhawks took the season series last year with a 79-74 win on February 13, 2025 in Easton, after defeating the Red Flash, 64-40 in Loretto on January 5, 2025.
SCOUTING THE RED FLASH
The Red Flash enter the MLK Day weekend coming off a four-point, 67-63, loss to LIU on Saturday, January 10. The loss snapped a two-game win streak for Saint Francis after back-to-back wins against Le Moyne (Jan. 2) and FDU (Jan. 4). Against the Knights, Skylar Wicks led three players in double figures with 24 points, while Chris Moncrief followed up with 14 and Ahmad Harrison notched 12 points and dished out six assists. Wicks also sits just behind Stonehill center
Ridvan Tutic in rebounds, averaging 7.1 rebounds per game.
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE SKYHAWKS
The Skyhawks climbed back to .500 in NEC action with an 85-82 victory over Chicago State on Saturday afternoon. Junior guard
Davante Hackett registered his first double-double of the season, netting 22 points and 11 rebounds, leading four Skyhawks in double figures en route to the victory. Sophomore guard
Hermann Koffi recorded his 15
th game with double digit points, tallying 18, including knocking down a pair from the charity stripe to send the game into overtime. In the overtime period, senior guard
Chas Stinson recorded the game-winning shot with a driving lay-up with 15 seconds remaining. Stinson converted the traditional three-point play to seal the win for the Skyhawks. Fellow senior guard
Rex Sunderland dished out six assists for second time in three games in the victory.
FROM DOWNTOWN
A four-time NEC Prime Performer, sophomore
Hermann Koffi leads the NEC three-point field goals (53) and three-point field goal percentage (.421). Against DePaul, Koffi came one three-point jumper shy of tying the WinTrust Arena record, registering seven.
Made 3-Point Field Goals at WinTrust Arena
8 David Joplin (Marquette) 1/28/23
Kaiden Rice (Georgetown) 2/9/22
Max Strus (DePaul) vs. Georgetown 3/6/19
Max Strus (DePaul) vs. UIC 12/14/18
David Coit (NIU) 11/25/23
7
Hermann Koffi (Stonehill) 11/7/25
LJ Figureroa (St. John's) 1/25/20
Scottie Lindsey (Northwestern) 12/16/17
Quincy Olivari (Xavier) 2/3/24
TRIPLE THREAT
Graduate student
Raymond Espinal-Guzman nearly became the second player in Division I to record a triple double. Against DePaul, the Rhode Island native registered 10 rebounds, while netting nine points and dishing out seven assists.
DEFENSIVE MINDED
As a team, Stonehill leads the NEC in total rebounds (658), averaging 38.7 per game. Junior center
Ridvan Tutic climbed to third amongst conference leaders in overall rebounds per game, averaging 8.1, with 121 total boards. Tutic has four double-doubles on the season and has reached double figures in rebounds in six of his last eight games. Graduate student
Raymond Espinal-Guzman is fifth amongst NEC leaders averaging 7.0 per game (119 total boards). Additionally, senior
Chas Stinson is ranked fourth in the conference in blocks with 20 on the season.
SERVING OTHERS
Senior guard
Rex Sunderland finds himself sixth amongst NEC leaders in assists, dishing out 59 on the season. Against Fairfield (11/24/25), Sunderland came two assists shy of tying his career single-game high dishing out six assists against the Stags. He tied his season-high in assists dishing out six in a 69-60 win over Wagner on January 4 and currently has nine games with four-plus assists.
25-POINT COMEBACK
In the first half against
DePaul on November 7, Stonehill found themselves trailing by 25, 30-5, however the Skyhawks went on a 14-0 run to pull within 11 points. Midway through the second half, sophomore
Hermann Koffi drained his seventh three-pointer of the game to tie the contest a 49. A few minutes later they took their first lead of the game, 50-49, when senior
Chas Stinson went 1-for-2 from the charity stripe.
PICKED THIRD IN NEC PRE-SEASON POLL
The Stonehill men's basketball team was picked third in the 2025-2026 Men's Basketball Pre-Season Coaches Poll released Monday, October 27. The Skyhawks finished behind LIU, who was a unanimous selection for first place, and Central Connecticut State, who was picked second.
2025-2026 NEC Pre-Season Coaches Poll
1. LIU
2. Central Connecticut State
3. STONEHILL
4. Mercyhurst
5. FDU
6. Chicago State
7. Saint Francis
8. Wagner
9. Le Moyne
10. New Haven
KOFFI EARNS ALL-NEC PRE-SEASON HONORS
Sophomore
Hermann Koffi was selected to the NEC Pre-Season All-Conference team. Koffi returns to for his sophomore season after earning All-NEC Second Team honors and All-Rookie Team recognition last year. Appearing in all 32 games while starting 27 in 2024-2025, Koffi averaged 9.4 points per game and shot 74.2% from the free throw line.
2025-2026 NEC PRE-SEASON ALL-NEC TEAM
Bernie Blunt, Gr. | G | Mercyhurst
Malachi Davis, Sr. | C | LIU
Jamal Fuller, Gr. | G/F | LIU
Hermann Koffi, So. | G | Stonehill
Darin Smith Jr., So. | F | Central Connecticut State
PRIME PERFORMERS
Sophomore
Hermann Koffi received the NEC Prime Performer accolades on Nov. 10 after dropping a career single-game best 27 points on DePaul. He secured his second Prime Performer accolades a week later on Nov. 17, then again on Dec. 15. Junior guard
Davante Hackett has three Prime Performer accolades on the season, receiving the honors in back-to-back-to-back weeks (Nov. 24, Dec. 1 and Dec. 8). Junior center
Ridvan Tutic joined the growing list of NEC Prime Performers reeling in the accolades following back-to-back double doubles against Vermont State-Johnson (Dec. 12) and New Hampshire (Dec. 17).
NEC Honors
Hermann Koffi (Nov. 10) Prime Performer
Hermann Koffi (Nov. 17) Prime Performer
Hermann Koffi (Dec. 15) Prime Performer
Hermann Koffi (Jan. 12) Prime Performer
Davante Hackett (Nov. 24) Prime Performer
Davante Hackett (Dec. 1) Prime Performer
Davante Hackett (Dec. 8) Prime Performer
Davante Hackett (Jan. 12) Prime Performer
Ridvan Tutic (Dec. 23) Prime Performer
NEW FACES, NEW PLACES
The Skyhawks welcome nine newcomers to the Stonehill campus – including eight transfers: Will Batchelder (Sr., Holy Cross),
Raymond Espinal-Guzman (Gr., Sacred Heart),
Davante Hackett (Jr., Brock University),
Anthony Holden (Gr., Maryville),
Cory Lovell (Jr. Hercum College),
Trenton Ruth (So., Coffeyville C.C.),
Rex Sunderland (Sr., New Hampshire) and
Ridvan Tutic (Jr., Maine).
Additionally, the Skyhawks welcomed two new coaches to the coaching staff: assistant coaches
Tom Bonacum and
Josh Einhorn. Bonacum joins the Skyhawks after spending the past five seasons with former Iona and FDU Head Coach Tobin Anderson. Bonacum helped guide the Gaels to back-to-back MAAC Championship game appearances. Einhorn joins Stonehill after a year under legendary Brandeis Head Coach Jean Bain helping to lead to the Judges reach 28th in Division III rankings.
HONORING A LEGEND
This season the Stonehill men's basketball team will be wearing patches on their shooting shirts in memory of Mike Allocco '73, who passed away in early September. Allocco was a legend on the basketball court during his playing days during his play days as the program's first All-American and program's all-time leading scorer with 2,399 points. A three-time All-American, Allocco went on to be drafted by the Capital Bullets, now the Washington Wizards, and was inducted into the Stonehill College Hall of Fame in 1989.
SENIOR REFLECTION - CHARLIE DIAMANTIS
In a new website feature by the Stonehill athletic department this year, senior guard
Charlie Diamantis reflected on his four years at Stonehill and how it shaped him as a student-athlete and person. To read his written senior reflection visit:
Written Senior Reflection - Charlie Diamantis, Men's Basketball
STINSON RETURNS
Senior
Chas Stinson returns for his senior season. The only player to appear and start in all 32 games last season, Stinson led the Skyhawks picking the pocket of opponents, a season-best 54 times and was fourth amongst NEC leaders in steals. Stinson finished fourth on the team with 264 points and second in rebounds with 159.
MEUSER MINUTES
Appearing and starting in 31 games, senior
Ethan Meuser led the Skyhawks with 27 blocks in 2024-2025 and was fifth amongst NEC leaders. In addition, Meuser was second amongst team leaders in three-point percentage, knocking down 46-116 (.397).
HERRION'S RETURN
Bill Herrion returns for his second season on Coach Kraus' staff. Herrion most recently coached at the University of New Hampshire up until 2023 after 18 years at the helm of the Wildcats program. Herrion began an 18-year run as the head coach of New Hampshire in 2005 after a short stint as the associate head coach at the University of Arkansas. In his time at UNH, he accumulated a 227-303 (.428) record, the winningest coach in Wildcat history. His 394 wins between his head coaching stints at UNH and at Drexel stands as the all-time mark in America East history.
FOREVER A SKYHAWK!
Stonehill's largest win over a Division I opponent in program history on November 15, 2024 against New Orleans, 80-54, marked the 500th game Stonehill head coach
Chris Kraus '06 had a role with the program including his time as a student-athlete (114) from 2002-06, assistant coach (90) between 2010-13, and head coach (323) since 2013. Kraus has now had a role with his alma mater in over a quarter of the men's basketball games in the program's 77-year history.
NORTH OF THE BORDER
Head Coach
Chris Kraus (Toronto, Ontario) went north of the border this season, recruiting two newcomers from his home country of Canada. Junior
Davante Hackett (Brampton, Ontario) and sophomore
Hermann Koffi (Quebec City, Quebec) grew up in Canada, just like their head coach. Coach Kraus is one of two Canadian-born coaches at the Division I level as Pacific's newest head coach, Dave Smart, joins Kraus in the states. Kraus is also the second-winningest Canadian-born head coach in NCAA history as his 165 wins trail only the late Pete Newell who tallied a record of 234-123 between coaching stints at the University of San Francisco, Michigan State, and California from 1946-1960. Newell, a native of Vancouver, was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 before passing away in 2008.
INTERNATIONAL
In addition to a pair of players hailing from Canada, the 2025-2026 squad consists of five players who call home outside of the United States. Canada:
Davante Hackett (Jr., Brampton, Ontario),
Hermann Koffi (So., Quebec City, Quebec); Serbia:
Ridvan Tutic (Jr. Novi Pazar); Finland:
Eino Montin (Jr., Oulu); New Zealand:
Cory Lovell (Jr., Wellington).
THE CHRIS KRAUS '06 FILE
Stonehill Head Men's Basketball Coach
Chris Kraus enters his 13
th season at the helm of the Skyhawk men's basketball team and has had role in over a quarter of men's basketball games in the program's 77-year history. Kraus became the 14
th head coach of the Skyhawks in July of 2013 after spending three seasons as an assistant coach under David McLaughlin. As an assistant coach he helped guide the Skyhawks to 2011-12 NE-10 Championship and NCAA Division II East Regional title. A 2006 alumni of Stonehill, Kraus is one of 51 head coaches coaching their alma mater in NCAA Division I in 2025-2026. The longest tenured head coach in program history, Kraus is also the first Canadian-born head coach to lead the Skyhawks and one of two Canadian head coaches in NCAA Division I (Pacific's Dave Smart is the other). On November 15, 2024 against New Orleans, Kraus participated in his 500th game associated with the College (student-athlete, assistant coach and head coach), then on November 27, 2024 against Marquette it marked his 300th game as head coach. As the program's all-time program leader in games coached surpassing Raymond Pepin (312) and David McLaughlin (288), Kraus is also one of four head coaches in program history to reach the 100-win mark.
Head Coach Years Wins
David McLaughlin 2003-13 189
Raymond Pepin 1984-95 171
Chris Kraus 2013-present 168
Tom J. Folliard 1 978-1984 101
