Joey Sauers Hopes to Bring Dukes Men’s Basketball Back to Prominence

A new era for the Rowan College of South Jersey–Cumberland (RCSJ–Cumberland) Dukes men’s basketball team begins this Saturday, Nov. 7, against the Ocean County College Vikings. The first game of the season for the Dukes starts at 2 p.m. in the Dr. Charles Cunningham Center.

This will also be RCSJ–Cumberland’s first game with head coach Joey Sauers at the helm.

Sauers was an assistant coach for the men’s team for several years, before he became the interim head coach in February 2026. The former RCSJ–Gloucester Roadrunner walk-on basketball player was officially appointed to lead the team in June. 

Sauers has an extensive background in the sport. 

“I’ve always been around basketball,” he said. “When I was young, it was like a coping mechanism to go play basketball. I realized how much I relied on it. I love to play it. I love to teach it.”

Sauers said he was “very excited” to learn he was named head coach of the Dukes. 

“My fiancé has been with me for years now and being a coach is something that we both love that I do, and she supports me so much,” he said. “I just feel really ecstatic. I feel like I prepared myself over the last couple of years to take that step. 

“It just feels surreal that it’s here now.” 

The Dukes have had a rough go of things in the last several years. They haven’t had a winning record since the 2020-2021 pandemic shortened season. Sauers shared some ideas he has on helping RCSJ–Cumberland return to prominence. 

“Preparation is the big one,” he said. “I mean, when we are just intense in practice every day, and when we are giving 100% all the time, it’s going to translate instantly to the games. It’s going to be full throttle every day and it has to be. There cannot be a dropoff.”

Sauers also explained his coaching style. 

“Accountability driven, but always with an open door,” he said. “We’ve set very clear standards of what our culture is. This year is big on establishing culture and it’s a continuous thing.”

“You’re only as good as the parts that you have around you,” he continued. “The guys that are around me, the staff, and the captains [on the team] have my full trust to be able to make sure that what I want is implemented. When they feel like maybe I’m wrong about something, I need to be open enough to make a change.”

Sauers’ staff consists of assistant coaches Al Gaskins, Brandon Lipshchutz, and former Dukes standout, Angel Smith. 

“Al’s been around basketball for a while, and he’s just a great overall individual. He is somebody that you can trust with anything,” the West Berlin resident said. “Brandon’s the best recruiter I’ve ever been around. He knows everybody and knows exactly what to say. He makes my job easy.

“Angel’s learning. He played [at the collegiate level] for four years, now he’s getting into coaching. He can give these guys (the players) some real advice about what the next level looks like.”  

Currently, Sauers intends for the Dukes to play a fast-paced style on the court. “We have a good number of sophomores that played at the next level and we’re hoping to get our younger guys to really buy into that kind of play.”  

However, “you have to be flexible,” he said. “You can’t just play one style.”

One player to watch, according to Sauers, is sophomore guard, Jameel Purnell. 

“Just knowing what Jameel did last year and the way he impacted everybody,” he said about Purnell’s value to the team. “I mean, he averaged 20 points per game. He was a two-time, Division III National Player of the Week award winner. He was a Second Team All-Region XIX and First Team All-Garden State Athletic Conference player.

“You expect him to get better. I’m excited to watch him because I’ve seen his growth. I’m particularly excited to see how he does this year.”

Sauers is hoping to garner support from Dukes Kingdom. 

“A lot of teams that are in our conference look outside of the state for recruiting. We are taking a homegrown aspect,” he said. “If you look at our roster, it’s all New Jersey. We believe there’s talent in New Jersey, and we’re not going to be the coaches that overlook it.”

“If you want to come and watch, you’re going to see New Jersey basketball at its finest,” he added. “It’s going to be exciting. I think that people should be wanting to tune in, and let’s hope we can get RCSJ–Cumberland back to where it should be.”

For information about Rowan College of South Jersey athletics, visit RCSJ.edu/Athletics.