Lehigh men’s basketball first-years step up in new roles during season

Entering the 2024-25 season, the Lehigh men’s basketball team faced numerous setbacks, as injuries sidelined senior captain Keith Higgins Jr., last year’s leading scorer, as well as junior center Henri Adiassa and junior forward Bube Momah.

But this opened the door for three first-year players — forwards Hank Alvey, Alfredo Addesa and Edouard Benoit — to make an impact on the collegiate court. 

Coming off their successful high school careers, they needed to quickly adjust to their new, fast-paced environment, a challenge acknowledged by coach Brett Reed. 

The first-years said their summer workouts were instrumental in their development by allowing them to better understand the coaching staff’s mentality and expectations set for them.

Benoit said the summer practices also helped him establish a better routine when he returned home to Canada to continue preparing for the season. 

Stepping into the college basketball landscape and a Division I team was already an adjustment, he said, but due to injuries and jobs, the first-years never had the chance to see the full roster in action. 

Coming a small school in Glasford, Illinois, Illini Bluffs High School, Alvey said he felt overwhelmed going into his first few games due to the physicality of the competition. 

He said the tallest player he ever guarded in high school was 6-foot-4, but he was now going up against taller players who had been competing at the collegiate level for years.   

“Everyone is bigger, faster and stronger,” Alvey said. “You have to account for that. You have to think about that.” 

He also said he found this adjustment daunting, especially during his college debut against Northwestern University on Nov. 4, 2024. In the 90-46 loss, Alvey primarily guarded Wildcats senior center Matthew Nicholson, one of two 7-foot Northwestern players.

While playing against a Big Ten team with taller competition, Alvey said he originally felt scared but got used to it after a couple of games. He attributed this adjustment to support from his teammates. 

Of those teammates, Alvey said Higgins who was instrumental in his development and confidence. He would talk through things and calm him down. 

For Benoit, the in-game adjustments went beyond the change of pace — he also had to adapt to different rules. 

He said the shorter 30-second shot clock and quicker shot pace made on-court decision-making more critical. There’s also a lot more accountability in college basketball, he said, especially on defense, making there less room for mistakes.

“There’s a lot more thinking to do and trying to play without thinking, so it becomes automatic,” he said. 

Edouard Benoit, Lehigh men’s basketball first-year forward, attempts a shot during a game against the University of Valley Forge on Nov. 20, 2024. Benoit finished the game with 12 points. (Kendall Gavin/B&W Staff)

Benoit also said he started coming off the bench as the 14th man in the team’s rotation during their first scrimmages, later playing meaningful minutes in conference games. 

“There was a bit of a small reality check the first few weeks,” he said.

Despite this, Benoit later had his breakthrough moment during Lehigh’s game against Monmouth University on Dec. 4, 2024. Coming off the bench, he scored 14 points and made three 3-pointers. He said he felt his role within the team finally clicked during that game.

Benoit received his first career start against American University on Jan. 22, when he was met with both excitement and a challenge. With Lehigh up by one in the final seconds, he said a defensive lapse allowed his man to score the game-winning floater at the buzzer. 

Benoit said the 68-67 loss acted as a turning point for him but credited coach Willie Jenkins for emphasizing the importance of focus in those final moments.

Addesa said he found the biggest challenge was adapting to new offensive and defensive schemes. 

He said upon arriving, he set his sights on being a player with a lot of game time, but he saw limited minutes in his first few games. However, Addesa remained committed to working hard to earn more time on the court. 

“I try to be the best version of myself that is going to help the team win the game,” he said.

Appearing in 25 games this year, Addesa became a contributor off the bench. 

Reed said despite the trio stepping into larger roles than expected, they have approached the unforeseen circumstances with positive attitudes. 

Although the adjustments were challenging, Addesa said the strong bond between the trio and the team made room for the growing pains to not be as bad. 

“I think being very close to one another, it helps in tough situations, like with practices when things don’t go right,” Addesa said. “It’s all love. It’s nothing personal.”

Alfredo Addesa, Lehigh men’s basketball first-year forward, takes a foul shot during Lehigh’s game against the University of Valley Forge on Nov. 20, 2025. Lehigh defeated Valley Forge 100-53. (Kendall Gavin/B&W Staff)

Benoit reiterated this sentiment, adding how their strong relationships allowed them to push each other harder by channeling their frustrations into a higher intensity for practices. 

“They’re able to back it up, be more aggressive, and (this allows) them a play where they’re playing well and pushing others to make everyone else better too,” sophomore forward Jake Pike said.

Reed said their acclimation came from different avenues due to many veterans not being on the court. He said it’s important to create a supportive environment for his young team’s development. 

“They’re thrown into the fire as freshmen,” Reed said. 

Benoit said senior guard Ben Knostman was a great role model for him, as he helped even when he had his own work to worry about.

For Alvey and Addesa, Momah and Adiassa have helped their transition by providing feedback between plays and giving tips to avoid missing cues. 

Momah said the underclassmen have done a great job of stepping up when needed. He emphasized that taking advantage of their resources has allowed them to further develop. 

Sharing a similar sentiment, Adiassa said he is impressed and glad to see them hitting their flow. Even though he can’t physically be on the court, he’s happy to see them continue to grow.

“A couple of years ago, we were (in) the same (position as them) right now,” he said. “We were lucky enough to have people that helped us get through it.”