The University of Toledo men's basketball team is coming off of a down year compared to the recent standard set by the Rockets.
Now Toledo will have a new look with key contributors in Luke Knapke and Willie Jackson graduating, Marreon Jackson testing the NBA waters, and four players from the supporting cast transferring out of the program.
While Toledo will never know if it would have beat rival Bowling Green in the Mid-American Conference quarterfinals and made a run in the tournament, there is no doubt next year's team will look a lot different.
Recruiting class
Toledo will welcome in three true freshman guards in Ryan Rollins, Jamere Hill, and Ra'Heim Moss.
Rollins is a point guard from Macomb, Mich., with good size at 6-foot-4 that could play right away at Toledo. His length and athleticism will be major pluses for the Rockets in years to come.
Hill, a 6-foot-3 guard from Joliet, Ill., has a lot of upside. Moss, from Springfield High School, is a two-way basketball and football star with great athletic ability.
The Rockets also added 6-foot-6 junior college guard/forward Seth Millner from Northwest Florida. Millner began his college career at Cleveland State.
And then Toledo recently received a commitment from NCAA Division II guard/forward J.T. Shumate from Walsh University. Shumate averaged 14.4 points per game for the Cavaliers his sophomore season. He will sit out the 2020-21 season and then have two years of eligibility left at Toledo.
With two open scholarships remaining, the Rockets can look towards the transfer market at the Division I or junior college levels to fill out their roster.
Guards
The big wild-card is whether star point guard Marreon Jackson will return after entering his name in the NBA draft. While it is likely he returns, it is not a given. Jackson was second team All-MAC this season, averaging 19.8 points and 5.4 assists per game.
Spencer Littleson returns as a senior and is the best defender on the Rockets. Littleson has developed his offensive game and is a big time 3-point shooting threat.
Keshaun Saunders will return as a redshirt sophomore. By the end of the season, Saunders was in the starting five and provided scoring punch. He still has the potential to be a very good player.
The player Saunders replaced in the starting five, Dylan Alderson, chose to transfer following his junior season at Toledo.
Freshman Donavan Moore was another one of the players to transfer out of Toledo after playing sparingly this season.
Forwards
Losing Willie Jackson hurts the depth at the forward position. Mattia Acunzo could be one answer at the position if he returns from his bothersome foot injury that kept him out all of the 2019-20 season. When fully healthy, he has good potential.
T.J. Smith, and Aaron Etherington left the cupboard a little bare at the forward position as the duo chose to transfer this offseason.
Centers
Despite the loss of Luke Knapke, one of the best centers in recent Toledo history, the Rockets are set up well at the position.
A.J. Edu should return after sitting out the 2019-20 season with a torn ACL. Edu is an all-conference-caliber player and will provide a big boost with his shot blocking ability on the defensive end.
Luke Maranka is a player that the Toledo coaches are still very high on. He needs to put on weight to be effective in the battles in the post, but he flashed potential in his true freshman season.
First Published March 25, 2020, 5:40 p.m.
