Pregame introductions have taken on an entirely new meaning for the Chesapeake men’s basketball this season.

All five starters from a team that turned in one of the best seasons in program history departed.

The Skipjacks went 30-6 last year, won the Region XX Tournament and advanced to the National Junior College Athletic Association National Division II National Tournament in Illinois I March.

If losing all those players wasn’t tough enough, Chesapeake sophomore point guard Izaiah Credle is out for the year with an injury suffered during the preseason.

On top of that, sophomore forward Elisha Gregory is sidelined with an injury. He was averaging a team-high 18.3 points per game.

Coach Andrew Sachs isn’t worried though. He knows the Skipjacks will win their share of games after going 71-18 in his first three seasons.

“I think we will get better as the season goes along,” Sachs said. “The only thing that matters is the league. I don’t know if we are going to be an elite team in the league, but we will be really competitive.”

Chesapeake opened conference play with a 97-79-thrashing of Frederick Community College on November 29 in Wye Mills.

The Skipjack had four players score in double figures: TaQuan Courtney (20 points, 4 assists), Kyle Jones (13 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds), Andre Stewart (18 points, six rebounds) and Marquis McAbee (18 points, five rebounds).

Tom Nissan chipped in nine points and seven rebounds.

“If you look at us during the last three games, we have gotten better,” explained Sachs, whose team also beat Community College of Allegheny County, 80-77, in overtime behind the performance of Jones, who finished with 20 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.

Jones, a natural shooting guard, is the team’s new floor leader. He is a good athlete, and has excellent quickness and playmaking skills.

Jones is averaging 12.7 points, six rebounds and 4.6 assists.

“He has never played point guard before, but he is stepping up and taking on that role,” Chesapeake assistant coach Delonte Joyce said. “I love how he has taken on that leadership role and he is doing whatever he needs to do to help us win.”

Chesapeake also relies heavily on 6-foot-3 guard Andre Stewart for offense. Stewart is enjoying a fine first season and has developed into a deadly three-point shooter, hitting a team-high 40.7 percent from the field.

He is averaging 16.1 points.

“As the season has gone on, he has gotten better at shooting the ball and learning how to play at the college level,” Joyce said. “It’s a lot different than playing at the high school level.”

Courtney, a sophomore guard who graduated from Kent Island High, and sophomore center Tom Nisson start for the Skipjacks, too.

Courtney gives the team another perimeter weapon. The 6-foot-9 Nisson could be the most improved Skipjack, and he can be a matchup problem for opposing players. He has the frame to inflict damage

“He didn’t do much at all last year, but he is playing a lot of minutes for us,” Sachs said of Nisson.  “We are getting the most out of him. He has had a couple of double-doubles.”

Freshman Josh Rivers and McAbee rotate as starters at the position.

Freshman guard Isaiah Vilsaint and freshman forward Daqwan Johnson are coming for minutes off the bench.

“With the success we have had the past three years,” Sachs said. “Every player is going to give it their best shot. Our focus: we just have to keep getting better, so we are playing our best basketball in February.”