By Adolfo Miliano and Jesus Vargas
Members and coaches of both Lehman’s Men’s and Women’s basketball teams spoke about the upcoming season on Lehman's Media Day on October 18th. In this interview, players and coaches on both sides spoke about their upcoming season, their meticulous training regiments, and the goals they’re striving for. With the season starting in November, both the Men’s and Women’s teams have high expectations to go far this season, especially after last season's daunting defeat against their conference rivals, Baruch College. This year, Lehman plans to be on the other side of the history books in hopes of seizing their opportunity and once again holding the CUNYAC trophy.
Steve Schulman has been the Men’s Basketball Head Coach for Lehman College for 25 years. This new 2024/25 season brings high expectations for the men’s side, as they are looking to achieve the CUNYAC Championship title for the first time since 2004. The Men’s team fell short last season against Baruch in the CUNYAC finals, losing 71-73 by the end of the 4th quarter. That was the third year in a row that the two teams faced each other in the CUNYAC in the finals, Baruch won all three of those encounters.
Coach Schulman spoke about these results and how he is looking to turn this loss streak around: “The key is that we don’t try to plant into that game right now,” he said. “Every season is new in basketball. You just have to grind it out and try to get better every day.”
After these heartbreaking losses in the CUNYAC Final, Schulman assures that the team maintains its confidence despite the negative results. “The coaching staff and the players bring a good level of confidence every day,” he expressed. “We have to remember why we were able to get into those spots, which is how we practiced and how we played together.”
Schulman was the head coach during the last time the Men’s team won the CUNYAC Championship in 2004. He spoke about the 20-year drought and how it drives him to achieve greatness with the team. “It’s tough. We’ve been close so many times,” he said. “We’re going to break it, no doubt. That’s what drives me. I want to win that last game.”
Another goal for Schulman is for Lehman to play NCAA DIII Basketball. In order to compete in NCAA DIII, his team must win the CUNYAC Championship to be seeded within the best 24 DIII teams in the country. “Lehman has never won a NCAA game, so that is the ultimate goal,” he expressed. Looking into the team, Schulman spoke about the players. “We have a really supportive group of guys who are respectful and want to win.”
His expectations for the players are straightforward: “Win the next game, win the regular season in CUNY, with the CUNYAC Championship, and win an NCAA game.” He believes the title will return to Lehman after 20 years if the team commits. He finalized by saying: “The way we can achieve it is by not being selfish and everyone committing to the goal. We have the talent to do it, so we need to get better each and every game to make sure that we’re playing at our best when the playoffs start.”
Brandon Marks is a Senior at Lehman College who plays as a Small Forward and Shooting Guard for the Men’s Basketball Team. Marks is also the co-captain of the Men’s side for his second year running. Like Coach Schulman and the other players, Marks has one target in mind: win the CUNYAC Championship. “This has been our goal for the past few years, we fell short, but this is a different year,” he assured. Marks spoke highly of his teammates as he believes the team has the talent to accomplish the CUNYAC title this season.
He expressed how connected the team is, even with a handful of new recruits. “We have a lot of new guys, but you can’t even tell they are new,” he said. “There is a lot of bonding, competition, and healthy trash-talking. There are a lot of great new additions to the team; the coaches did a great job recruiting. We got exactly what we needed.”
Brandon Marks also shared his thoughts about his captaincy role and the challenges it brought him. “Last year was very challenging. I wasn’t playing much, so it's hard to speak up when you are not playing,” he said. “This year, I feel so much more comfortable. It's not even about playing, it's being the voice of reason besides the coach.” He expressed how important it is for a captain to speak up with confidence and help the team. Marks shares captaincy with another player, Lasana Camara, and speaks about their relationship. “Lasana is my boy. I’ve been with him for three years now and trust him.”
Marks describes his experience during the three consecutive CUNYAC finals and how it affected the players. “For some people, losing those games could make you think that once you get to the final, you’re going to lose again,” he said. “I look at things differently. This is a whole new year. Everything else before doesn’t matter.” The most important part for him is keeping a positive mindset during the season and not thinking about the previous results. “Take one game at a time, get better every day, and when we look up in February, we will be where we need to be.” Brandon Marks finalized by stating, “This is the year,” as he hopes to win Lehman’s first CUNYAC Championship title since 2004.
Women's Basketball Team: The Goal is Gold
Women’s Head Coach Eric Harrison has been the head coach of the Women’s Basketball Team for 26 years. Harrison is no stranger to victory. He was an intricate part of capturing a CUNYAC title in 2016 and has high praise for this new team. “In 2016, the team was very great; we had some talented players who worked hard and cared about each other. They prepared every day for what would be a championship, and we hope these players carry that onto this team and emphasize the importance of practice, commitment, and teamwork.”
Coach Harrison’s objective goes beyond a title win; he hopes to bring back relevancy to a team that people have forgotten about. “It’s been a while since this team has won. People have written Lehman off on the women's side due to struggling the past few years, but it would be great to get back and show people that we haven’t gone anywhere, and I think this year's team can do that.”
The Women’s team has the capability to accomplish something they haven’t done in 8 years. It’s more than winning a title and hanging a banner to most. Like Co-Captain Emily Kennedy, this team is a sisterhood that cares for each other and wants to strive for excellence. She gave a daring statement to those who oppose Lehman this season.
“Watch out for Lehman because Lehman is coming for the chip.”
Heaven Accemius, a graduate student at Lehman College and co-captain of the Women’s Basketball Team, gave insight into her experience as a D1 athlete at Hampton University and why coming to Lehman was the best move for her. “I wanted to come back home not only for graduate school but to win a title here. I think my prior experience at a D1 program will help develop the players on this team and give them knowledge that they can use in the long run.” Heaven Accemius is coming back from a season-ending injury the year before and has something to prove. “I’m Rehabbing 2-3 times a week and taking strategic measures to make sure I stay healthy this season and be there for my team when it matters.
Accemius is a combo guard with skills in ball handling and shooting. However, when asked about the other factors of the game, like rebounding, defensive pressure, and steals, she had no hesitation, saying: “My teammates got me with that and will help me throughout those areas of the game.” She puts the team before herself and is fully aware of the challenges ahead. “It would mean a lot to me to win a title here. We didn’t win the chip at my old school, and the one for CUNYAC is accessible, and it’s within reach and I think me and my team can get there.”
She answered confidently when asked how she plans to handle the pressure this season. “What pressure?” For The Lightning, last season came to an end with a thud, falling to Baruch in the Championship game. Yet players never wavered nor hesitated when asked about their next matchup. “We want Baruch,” “We want to win a Championship,” and “We have something to prove” were all emphasized by Lehman’s Men's Team. Heaven Accemius gave a bold prediction as to how this season will go for Lehman. “We’re going undefeated and going straight to the chip.”
Both sides are stoic about starting the new season and claiming their most desired achievement: winning the CUNYAC Championship. The players' determination and the high remarks from both coaches give Lehman the confidence to obtain both titles and qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
