We are less than 4 weeks away from the tip-off of a new college basketball season, which means that we have plenty of time to start preparing for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with St. Francis G Chris Moncrief, who talked about making the NCAA tourney last March and his expectations for this season.
You began your college career at Evansville: why did you decide to transfer, and what made you choose St. Francis? I was talking to my coaches/family/God and felt that hitting the transfer portal was the best opportunity for my career. Coach Rob Krimmel and his staff were very welcoming and made it feel like home: they trusted me and I trusted them.
Last February you scored a career-high 25 PTS/9-11 FG in a 5-PT OT win at Le Moyne: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? I was hot that game, able to get to my spots, and knocked down my shots. You could say that I was feeling it.
Your FG shooting increased from 41.1% as a sophomore to 52% as a junior: how were you able to improve so much in just 1 year? Just some extra reps and the time I put in working on my game. I gained a lot more confidence so I trusted my ability and my teammates: now I know where I can score from.
Take me through the 2025 postseason:
In the NEC tourney title game you scored 5 PTS in a 3-PT win at Central Connecticut State: what did it mean to you to win a title? It was the biggest achievement of my basketball career. It meant everything to the team due to all our hard work. We stuck with it, played for each other, and kept locked in.
In the 1st 4 you scored 7 PTS in a 2-PT loss to Alabama State: how close did you come to surviving and advancing? We were 1 defensive stop and 1 score away. It was heartbreaking/devastating for us: we were winning the entire game and doing all the little things correctly but just fell apart in the final minutes.
You played for Coach Rob Krimmel: what made him such a good coach, and what was your reaction when he announced that he was retiring last March? His ability to make everyone on the team buy in: players/coaches/managers/everybody. We competed for 1 goal because he put his stamp on our locker room: we played for 1 another. It was sad to see him go but now he can spend more time with his family so I know that he is doing well.
You have a new coach this season in Luke McConnell: how has the transition been going so far? It is going very well. He has harped on how we respond to adversity: we do not make any excuses and just move on to the next play. I think we will do great things this season.
Last spring you put your name in the transfer portal: why did you decide to stay? The best thing for me was to stay close to home with a coaching staff that trusts me. I believe in the new guys coming in and what Coach Luke has planned for us.
Next summer the school will be reclassifying to D-3: how is everyone handling the situation? Everyone is handling it differently. The transition affected a lot of our student-athletes and their future career opportunities. It was not “traumatizing” but was a dramatic change. I feel hurt for some of my friends who had to look for new opportunities, but we will try to make the best out of it.
What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? We want to win another NEC title, go back to the NCAA tourney, and then go even farther than we did last year.
