East Carolina went 19-14 overall last year for its first winning season since 2014. The Pirates were 10-8 in the American Conference for their best record since joining the league in 2014-15 although former conference powers Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston have moved to the Big 12.

Still, last season was an accomplishment, but it was last season, and ECU will be looking to extend its success in the coming campaign.

The last time the Pirates had back-to-back winning seasons was 1995-96 and 1996-97, according to Grady Dillon of ECU sports media relations.

The Pirates will be physically bigger this season after a recruiting effort focused on procuring size, but how will that translate into performance?

Leading scorers gone

One obvious key this season will be how well the Pirates can replace the scoring of R.J. Felton and C.J. Walker. Felton averaged 18.8 points and Walker averaged 16.7. Cam Hayes (9.2) and Yann Farell (5,1) are also gone. Over 66 percent of the scoring from last year’s team has moved on.

“As far as trying to replace scoring, we haven’t talked about that as much as we said, ‘Hey, there’s a standard that we want to have no different than we started in year one to try and set a standard year two, year three,” said Pirates coach Mike Schwartz, who enters his fourth season at ECU. “I think we elevated it last year and I think these guys understand, led by the returning guys, Jordan Riley, Jay Woodard, Trevi LaBeaux,  Reid Cason, they understand because they were a part of it.

“Now you have new guys coming in that we’re going to really, really count on. But those guys really know the foundation of what the standard was last year and we hope to elevate it this season.”

Roster looking up

Giovanni Emejuru, a transfer from George Mason, projects as a post operative who can make an immediate impact. He had 12 points and nine rebounds for the Patriots in a 78-77 double-overtime loss in Greenville last season. He made 67 percent of his field goal attempts.

Emejuru is 6-10 and 260 pounds.

Providence transfer Eli DeLaurier is also 6-10 with the shooting range to potentially help the Pirates improve their 31.7 percent accuracy last season from beyond the arc.

New addition Vito Perkovic is 6-10 as well.

“I like the size of this group and have never hid the fact that we were trying to become a bigger team, play bigger, and I think we have legitimate size right now at this point,” Schwartz said

Perimeter shooting

Better outside shooting was another objective for ECU. Ideally, the added size inside would benefit if defenses have to extend with respect to long-range shooters.

Combo guard Isaiah Mbeng averaged 5.7 points in 19.8 minutes at William & Mary.

Daithi Quinn, a 6-4 small forward from Tabor Academy in Marion, MA, is another potential threat from the outside.

Schwartz likes Corey Caulker, a 6-4 point guard who transferred from Eastern Florida State, where he averaged 13.4 points.

Returners

Jordan Riley averaged 14.5 points last season and is the leading returning scorer.

“Whether it was R.J. Felton or Jordan Riley returning, we have not lost our leading returning scorer for three consecutive years,’ Schwartz said.  “That being said, I think again, it just goes back to standards.”

Jayshayne Woodard will be looked to for increased scoring after averaging 5.8 points in his junior season, An expanded role is anticipated for guard Tybo Bailey. Cason played some important minutes and could possibly contribute in greater measure. LaBeaux can get on the boards for a small forward and also plays tenacious defense.

Earlier start

Schwartz said at the outset of his comments on media day that he recalled when preseason practice started on Oct. 15.

ECU will open the season at home against Georgia Southern on Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m.

“This has just been the trend in college basketball here over the last 10 years or so, moving it back when they changed some of the rules on how many practices you could have before your first game,” Schwartz said. “But to be honest, it’s become a year-around thing in college basketball now.

“Just excited that we’re here and we’re getting closer to tip off.”

Coachability

Circumstances will become more intense as the season approaches, but Schwartz likes the players with which he has to work.

“This is a really coachable group, and you guys know how much I love last year’s team,” Schwartz said. “This coaching staff has done a great job through recruiting of bringing guys in that just understand what our program’s about and understand some of how important coachability is.”