When talking William & Mary basketball, it’s virtually impossible to avoid the history. The Tribe are one of just four programs that existed back in 1939 during the first NCAA Tournament, which have never made the field. It was five just two years ago when Northwestern earned its first bid. 

Under first-year head coach Dane Fischer, William & Mary aims to cross another name off that list. 

“One thing I will say about that is that we’re not going to shy away from it,” Fischer said via the Richmond Times Dispatch in April. “I’m fully aware of what people want here. People want to go to the NCAA tournament.”

Not many are predicting it — William & Mary is tabbed seventh in the preseason Colonial Athletic Association poll. But making the Big Dance is hardly about where a team’s projected in October, and sometimes not even where it finishes in March: In 2015, the Tribe won a share of the CAA regular-season championship but fell short in the always-treacherous conference tournament. 

Neither projections nor history impact what happens on the court; players do, however. And William & Mary heads into the 2019-20 campaign with perhaps the best player in the CAA. 

Head Coach: Dane Fischer (1st season at William & Mary)

Assistant Coaches: Mike Howland, Jason Kemp, Julian Boatner 

2018 Record: 14-17 (10-8 CAA)  

2019 Preseason Poll: 7th, 131 points 

Key Returners

If you are unfamiliar with William & Mary center Nathan Knight now, commit the name to memory. The Tribe’s center is one of the best returning players in college basketball this season, a potential NBA draft pick come spring, and will give preseason CAA Player of the Year Grant Riller competition for the postseason award. 

Knight tested the NBA waters for 2019 after averaging 21 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. His return provides a sizable building block for what’s otherwise a new-look team. 

Luke Loewe is the next-most productive returning scorer, at 3.9 points per game. Guard Thornton Scott logged the third-most floor time of holdovers, and he appeared in just 22-of-31 games. 

Key Departures

Justin Pierce, an active wing player and nice complement to Knight, transferred to North Carolina after averaging just below 15 points and nine rebounds per game. His exit leaves a considerable, all-around void. 

William & Mary also lost Matt Milon to UCF, Chase Audige to Northwestern, and L.J. Owens to UMBC. Coupled with the graduation of Paul Rowley, the Tribe must replace almost 50 points per game. 

New Additions

Although William & Mary lost players to graduate transfer, the Tribe add some experience with transfers coming into the program. Point guard Bryce Barnes was a starter at Milwaukee and adds another shooter and quick hands on defense. 

Guard Tyler Hamilton comes from Penn, where injury limited his playing time the past two seasons. 

Fischer will have the option of throwing a big lineup at opponents, too, with 7-foot Wisconsin transfer Andy Van Vliet eligible this season. Van Vliet practiced with the Tribe and faced Knight in practices a season ago. 

In addition to the transfers, William & Mary welcomes freshmen Rainers Hermanovskis, a wing from Latvia; Miguel Ayesa, a state champion guard at Florida’s Doral Academy; swingman Thatcher Stone; and forward Ben Wight. 

Dates To Remember

Nov. 8 at American: Preseason Patriot League Player of the Year Sa’eed Nelson leads the Eagles against William & Mary’s new-look backcourt.

Nov. 12 at Wofford (Hall of Fame Classic): Wofford’s free-wheeling, 3-point-heavy offense earned it a Top 25 ranking and nearly guided the Terriers to last season’s Sweet 16.

Nov. 18 at Oklahoma (Hall of Fame Classic): The Tribe play back-to-back games against power-conference opponents in a cross-country trek that stops off first in Big 12 territory.

Nov. 21 at Stanford (Hall of Fame Classic): William & Mary’s cross-country road trip concludes in the Bay Area against a rebuilding Stanford program.

Nov. 30 at Buffalo: The two-time defending Mid-American Conference champions undergo a considerable roster transformation in 2019-20.

Jan. 2 at Hofstra: Last season’s meetings with the regular-season CAA champions produced a pair of thrillers, including a triple-overtime matchup in Williamsburg.

Jan. 11 vs. Charleston: With Grant Riller and Nathan Knight both on the floor, this may be a de facto showdown for the CAA Player of the Year in 2020.

Jan. 16 at Delaware: The Fightin’ Blue Hens bounced William & Mary from last season’s CAA Tournament early, claiming the rubber match in the year’s series. The game in Newark went down to the final possession.

Jan. 30 vs. Northeastern: Last year’s CAA Tournament champions cruised in both meetings a year ago. This season’s matchup at Kaplan Arena is the third game of four straight at home for the Tribe – a critical stretch that could define their place in the CAA race.

Feb. 29 vs. Elon: The regular season concludes at home for the Tribe against an Elon bunch that stunned William & Mary in Williamsburg a season ago.