After calling Fleisher Athletic Center "home" for the past 50 seasons, the NJIT men's basketball team will officially become a tenant of the state-of-the-art Wellness and Events Center (WEC) for its 2017-18 season opener on Nov. 11.
 
Not only will the Highlanders be revealing this brand new arena when they play host to Wagner, they will also be unveiling a much different look on the floor.
 
"2017-18 presents a new era for NJIT basketball," said NJIT Head Coach Brian Kennedy. "We have graduated arguably the top class in the school's history headlined by All-American Damon Lynn and All-ASUN player Tim Coleman. They have been replaced by a solid recruiting class that will be called on to contribute right away along with our returning players."

The Highlanders lost four senior starters from last season, including the program's all-time leading scorer (Lynn) and all-time leading rebounder (Coleman). They also bid adieu to a venue in which the team posted an 8-4 record last season and an 87-60 mark during its Division-I era.

Just as it was not an easy process to erect the WEC, it will not be easy to replace Lynn's 2,153 career points or Coleman's 762 career rebounds. Yet, the key for the 2017-18 NJIT Highlanders men's basketball team may be summed up in one word: depth.

The Highlanders' high hopes heading into the 2016-17 season took a large hit when Lynn tore his Achilles just four games into conference play. Despite an impressive 8-8 start through a grueling non-conference schedule, NJIT finished 11-19 overall and seventh in the ASUN.
 
If there could be a "silver lining" to Lynn's absence, it came in the form of valuable, on-the-job experience for several key newcomers.
 
Two of those newcomers, junior Abdul Lewis (Newark, NJ) and sophomore Anthony Tarke (Gaithersburg, MD) were both impressive enough in their NJIT debuts to garner preseason All-ASUN honors this October. Another, freshman Shyquan Gibbs (Hillside, NJ), took over as the starting point guard for the last 12 games of the season and received a significant education in nearly 32 minutes per game during the span.
 
Added to the mix this season is the highest-rated recruiting class in the history of the program consisting of San Antonio Brinson (Augusta, GA), Zach Cooks (Lawrenceville, GA), David Kachelries (Emmaus, PA) and Shawndale Jones (Pittsburgh, PA).
 
In addition, the program added a high-scoring junior college transfer in Diandre Wilson (Fort Lauderdale, FL), who ranked 11th in the nation while averaging 22.3 point per game as a sophomore at Mott Community College in St. Flint, Mich., in 2016-17.
 
"We will definitely have one of the youngest teams in Division-I basketball this year," said Kennedy, whose roster features just one senior compared to seven underclassmen. "But we will be talented and will play a deep roster led by Abdul Lewis and Anthony Tarke, who are both entering their second year with the program."
 
FRONTCOURT
 
With a pair of preseason All-ASUN selections, NJIT could have one of the best frontcourts in the conference. In fact, Lewis and Tarke were two of just three forwards to receive such honors.
 
Lewis, a 6-foot-10 product of Newark East Side High School, lived up to expectations in his first season at NJIT after transferring from University of South Alabama. He finished the season averaging 9.7 ppg and 8.5 rebounds per game while setting program records for single-season rebounds (264) and single-game rebounds (19). A two-time ASUN Newcomer of Week as a sophomore, Lewis' growth was evidenced by the fact he averaged 13.4 ppg and 8.5 rpg over 14 games in ASUN play.
 
Tarke, the first-ever Highlander selected to the postseason ASUN All-Freshman Team, became the focus of the offense following the Lynn injury. Over his last 14 games, he averaged 14.0 ppg while shooting .565 (74-for-131 FG). Among ASUN freshman, Tarke ranked second in per-game averages for points (9.9), rebounds (4.7), steals (1.1) and blocks (0.5). He finished with 307 points, the highest scoring total by an NJIT freshman since Lynn in 2013-14 (500).
 
Junior Mohamad Bendary (Jersey City, NJ) continues to show improvement while providing size (6'9") off the bench. The St. Anthony's product scored 16 points over the final two games last season. Additionally, athletic sophomore Taj Price (Newark, NJ) will look to provide more depth in the low post.
 
The recruiting class as well as the frontcourt received a significant boost with the April signing of freshman San Antonio Brinson. The 6-foot-8, 200-pound forward arrived at NJIT as one of the highest-rated recruits in program history after attending South Kent School (CT).
 
 
BACKCOURT
 
Lynn's injury last year left a big void in the backcourt. Perhaps the biggest beneficiary was point guard Shyquan Gibbs, a product of Bob Hurley's legendary program. The St. Anthony High School (Jersey City, NJ) valedictorian finished his first collegiate season ranked 12th in the ASUN in assists-to-turnover ratio (1.6) and 25th in steals per game (0.7). More impressively, he averaged 6.8 ppg while shooting .457 (22-for-48 FG) over his last nine affairs.
 
Versatile junior Reilly Walsh (Staten Island, NY) proved last season that he could also facilitate the offense. The 2017 ASUN All-Academic selection averaged 8.0 ppg over his last three affairs and poured in a career-high 15 points in the final game of the season in the quarterfinal round of the ASUN tournament at Lipscomb.
 
NJIT also features a pair of accomplished long-range shooters. Senior Chris Jenkins (Hillside, NJ) has placed in the top 13 in the ASUN in three-pointers per game during each of his first two seasons at NJIT after transferring from Hofstra University. Although injured a majority of last season, junior Donovan Greer (Houston, TX) scored 11 points in his Highlanders debut at Lipscomb on Feb. 4 after averaging 8.8 ppg as freshman at San Jacinto College-Central (Pasadena, TX) in 2015-16.
 
Junior Diandre Wilson provides another scoring threat in Coach Kennedy's arsenal, as the NJCAA All-American first-team honoree scored 1,253 career points in two seasons at Mott CC.
 
The three freshmen guards are expected to carve their way into the rotation. 
 
Zach Cooks figures to handle a share of the point guard duties. He displayed both excellent ball-handling and play-making abilities while at Berkmar High School in Lilburn, Ga.
 
Shawndale Jones is a 6-3 combo guard who athleticism shined not only on the hardwood, but also on the gridiron as a WR/CB at The Kiski School in Saltsburg, Pa. In its recap of all ASUN early signings, Hoopseen.comcommented that Jones "could be the steal of the class."
 
David Kachelries, described as playing with an incredibly high motor, finished his high school career as Emmaus' all-time leading scorer with 1,910 points. 
 
 
OUTLOOK
 
Last year, NJIT got a glimpse of the future in the final two games of the regular season. After initially struggling to adjust on the fly following Lynn's injury, the Highlanders reinvented their identity in time to post impressive, back-to-back wins against Stetson and USC Upstate.
 
This crash course provided valuable experience for a youthful roster that features just one senior and just 40 combined starts at NJIT from its upperclassmen.
 
Another positive factor could be a home-court advantage developed in the new, 3,500-seat basketball arena that will compare favorably with many mid-major facilities throughout the country. After traveling for 11 of their 16 non-conference contests a year ago, the Highlanders play nine of 15 non-conference games at the WEC this season.
 
Still, the young squad will be put to task early with another challenging schedule that features road games at West Virginia, Seton Hall, Rutgers and Buffalo and home tilts against the likes of Drexel, LIU Brooklyn and Iona. 
 
How the Highlanders fare in the ASUN after being selected eighth in the preseason coaches and media poll will largely depend on the pace of their learning curve in advance of the conference opener on Jan. 6 against USC Upstate.
 
"I'm excited about the make-up of our roster and the opening of the WEC provides tremendous opportunities for our students and athletes here at NJIT," said Kennedy. "We have significant challenges ahead of us this season, but we certainly have the building blocks in place for the future as we continue to grow the program."