St. Joseph’s University (Long Island)
Preseason Report 2025-2026
St. Josephs is coming off a very solid season last year finishing 11-15 overall and 10-6 in Skyline Conference play. They failed to make a run in the playoffs after facing off with SUNY Maritime and coming up short on the road and putting an end to their season. They are losing core players from last season including Alec Tabada who had a legendary career scoring over 1,000 points for St. Josephs, he averaged 16 points and 5.2 rebounds last season. Along with him they lose Spencer Malloy who averaged 10.6 points and 7.1 rebounds, Justin Forest who averaged 8.8 points and 3.8 rebounds, and Ryan McNeely who averaged 7.1 points.
The St. Josephs Golden Eagles will need to improve on their outside shooting from last season which really held them back in their final game. They have a few returning players who will need to step up to make up for the loses in scoring and rebounding from last season. First Aj Esposito who averaged 8 points and 6 rebounds, he was one of the few who played in all games last season. Also returning is Kenny Rodriguez and Anthony Tod who both averaged 4 points and 2 rebounds. The Golden Eagles will have to lean on these returning players to avoid a rebuild year in Patchogue. Keys to their season are defense and more efficient shooting, they are losing their main scorers and rebounders, it will be interesting to see how they replace them.
The Golden Eagles are led by Coach AJ Uhl who is no stranger to the Skyline Conference. He enters his 4th season as coach and formerly played for Mount Saint Mary’s a Skyline Rival. He has led this program back to form having three straight Skyline Playoff appearances. It will be interesting to see how they adjust this season and look to make a playoff run.
We had a chance to chat with Coach Uhl
1- Coming off a disappointing end to last season, what lessons did you take from that final game?
A1. I thought the experience at Maritime last year in the conference tournament was great for both players and coaches alike. I think with so many players graduating, it's tough to take the lessons learned and apply them to a brand new group but my hope is that we can simulate that environment a handful of times during the season so they are prepared for it come conference tournament time.
2- How do you look to replace the key players you are losing this season?
A2. Recruiting and development. That is the name of the game in college basketball. We need to consistently recruit, retain and develop talent in order for our program and team to get better. I think our staff has done a great job of that. The players who are entering their 2nd or 3rd year in our program have gotten so much better since they've been here and I think that will continue with the new batch of athletes we brought in this year.
3- What's your main focus for this season?
A3. Our focus is on building our culture. This is the first time as a head coach that every single player on our team was recruited by our staff. We have 9 new members of our program this year. It will be a lot of work to bring them up to speed on how things are done at St. Joe's. I believe we have the talent to compete with everybody in our league. But our focus, especially early in the season, will be on building the actions and behaviors that allow you to win consistently. I don't believe we will know who this group is until January. We have just 3 seniors, with 6 juniors, 5 sophomores, and 3 freshmen. A bulk of our team has the opportunity to return in 2026-27. I believe a 2-year window to compete in the Skyline exists for this group. We have 18 players who love being in the gym and are incredibly talented, it is on our staff to get them ready to compete with the great teams in the Skyline.
4- How did recruiting go this offseason?
A4. Recruiting was a major focus of our staff this year as we graduated 10 players who contributed 73% of our scoring, 70% of our assists, and 61% of our rebounding from last year's team. It was important to our staff that we brought in players who could make an immediate impact but also had multiple years of eligibility so we can keep the core of the group together as long as possible. We brought in 9 new guys (6 transfers and 3 freshmen). We will look for major contributions from a handful of those 9 players.
5- How does it feel to coach in the conference you once played in?
A5. I love the Skyline Conference. I think the coaches and the players are so underrated on a national scale. My time at Mount Saint Mary playing for Coach Kad were some of the best years of my life. My experiences there are the reason I got into coaching. I spent 6 years moving around the country as an assistant and was so excited to get a chance to run a program so close to home in the conference that I played in.