At first glance, it may seem like not much has changed on the John Carroll men’s basketball team.

The Blue Streaks — 26-3 and Ohio Athletic Conference regular-season and playoff champions a year ago — will begin 2024-25 ranked. #3 preseason by D3Hoops.com for the second year in a row.

.@lukechicone of @JCUMensHoops on offseason preparations and entering the season with a “clean slate” @jcusports @MentorAthlétisme @NHPreps @CardinalCage pic.twitter.com/TAwuHn05kc

–Marc Podolski (@mpodo) October 30, 2024

The core of this team returns for one last season. It includes starting senior point guard Luke Chicone of Mentor and backcourt teammates Luke Frazier of Lake Catholic and Chase Toppin, as well as post players Henry Raynor and Will Yontek.

For coach Pete Moran, a lot has been the same with the program since Chicone, Frazier and the others joined the program two seasons ago. But this season is not the last or even the previous one.

“It’s a clean slate,” Moran said.

Where this clean slate will lead JCU is the great unknown. Chicone – the reigning OAC Player of the Year and a first-team preseason All-America selection by D3Hoops.com – is hoping for a spot in the Division III Final Four, but first things first: beginning.

The D3hoops .com Men’s Basketball Preseason All-America Team is launched! #d3hoops

– D3hoops/Patrick Coleman (@d3hoops) October 30, 2024

“We have no guarantees, especially not a berth in the (NCAA tournament),” Moran said. “We know our goals and we don’t need to talk about them. It’s not just about winning a national championship. It’s winning the first weekend, competing for the CAO and motivating yourself in a smaller way.

Frazier (fourth team) also joined Chicone as a preseason All-America, marking the first time in program history that JCU has two selections.

Last season, Frazier, Chicone, Toppin, Raynor and Yontek — in that order — were the team’s leading scorers. They combined to average 65.8 points and 24.8 rebounds, giving Moran his team plenty of options and flexibility.

The Blue Streaks will need that production, especially early in the non-conference. The first schedule is busy and mostly away from home.

The season begins Nov. 9 at the Penn State Harrisburg Tip-Off Classic. Nov. 16 against SUNY Brockport is the only non-conference home game before heading to Grand Rapids, Mich., for the Great Lakes Invitational, where preseason No. 8 Emory awaits on Nov. 23. Johns Hopkins is the other opponent on November 22. There is also a game at Hampden-Sydney, ranked No. 23 in preseason, on Dec. 20.

With a veteran group that won 49 games over the past two seasons and back-to-back OAC regular season titles, Moran felt confident loading up the schedule.

Yet concerns remained as 2024-2025 approached. The first was to find replacements for vocal leaders Jerry Higgins and Connor O’Toole, who had graduated.

“We have eight seniors and in April we challenged these guys to be leaders and make an impact,” Moran said. “They did, especially when we can’t be with them.”

The other concern was finding underclassmen as rotation players off the bench. According to Moran, three stood out during the preseason: Mentor’s Sean Collins, Lake Catholic’s Aidan Fitzgerald and Gilmour’s Brandon Rose.

“These guys will have a significant impact on what we do,” Moran said. “They understand their role.”

Despite their regular season success over the past two seasons, Chicone and Frazier are fueled by the team’s performance in the NCAA Tournament, but don’t dwell on it.

Two seasons ago, JCU won a first-round NCAA game, but was eliminated in the second round. Last season, the Blue Streaks spent time ranked No. 1 in the country and earned a home berth in the first round and won in the first round. But once again, they were sent home in the next round by Calvin.

“We really haven’t talked about the last two years,” said Chicone, who averaged 18.7 points, 5.3 assists and 4.0 rebounds last season. “It’s been a day-by-day thing, it’s about understanding where we want to go and how we’re going to get there.”

During JCU’s two tournament games last March, Frazier struggled with his shooting and while he’s moved on, he’s also “personally motivated.”

“We just have to find a way to make sure that when we’re in close games, we have to be able to close out,” Frazier said.

The stage is set on the hardwood for JCU. Can the core of the program deliver the ultimate prize of a national championship? Chicone and Co. intend to do their best.

“No matter what division of college basketball you play in, nothing is going to be easy,” Chicone said. “We had a lot of guys come in from (Division I) and we weren’t able to get the job done. It’s about being consistent in everything we do. But is it feasible? It can be done. The idea of ​​how we want to be remembered (at JCU) is that it can be done and should be done.

JCU Calendar 2024-25

November 9 p-Albert Magnus, 4 years old

Nov. 10 p-Penn State Harrisburg, 3

November 16 SUNY Brockport, 3

November 22 g-Johns Hopkins, 5:30 p.m.

November 23 g-Emory, 5:30 p.m.

December 7 Ohio North, 4

December 11 Mount Union, 7

December 14 Marietta, 4 years old

December 20 in Hampden-Sydney

December 21 c-Washington and Lee

January 4 Wilimington, 4

January 8 in Otterbein, 7

January 11 at Capital, 3

January 15 Heidelberg, 7

January 18 in Muskingum, 1

January 22 to Baldwin Wallace, 7

January 25 at Ohio Northern, 3

January 29 Otterbein, 7

February 1 in Marietta, 4

February 5 at Mount Union, 7

February 8 in Wilmington, 4

February 12 Baldwin Wallace, 7 years old

February 15 Capital, 4

February 19 in Heidelberg, February 7

February 22 Muskingum, 1

p-Penn State Harrisburg Tip-Off Classic

g-Great Lakes Invitation

c-Charlie Cobb Classic

Originally published: October 30, 2024 at 7:34 p.m. EDT