2009-10 Men’s Team-By-Team Previews

Bryant University Bryant By The Numbers

Outlook Quick Facts Only one year into its transition to Division I , Bryant has already made remark- 2008-09 Overall Record: 8-21 2008-09 NEC Record/Finish: --- able progress. In its maiden voyage last season, first year head coach Tim O’Shea NEC Tournament Finish: --- Starters Returning/Lost: 3/2 and the Bulldogs hit some bumps along the road, but after a 2-14 start - that Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 6/4 2008-09 Final RPI: 306 included a brutal December road stretch against the likes of Iowa, Boston College, Providence and Games Decided By 5 Points or Less: 3-1

Maryland - Bryant hit its stride in mid-January and finished out the year with a 6-6 record. The Bulldogs Leading Returning Scorers posted a respectable 6-8 mark against NEC opposition, including a 3-3 record away from home. With Cecil Greshman 13.4 ppg Nick Pontes 7.7 ppg O’Shea adding a slew of new talent in the offseason, the Bulldogs should be better equipped to withstand Chris Birrell 6.2 ppg the rigors of Division I with a bigger and more athletic squad in 2009-10. While Bryant is ineligible to Leading Returning Rebounders Cecil Greshman 4.7 rpg compete in the NEC Tournament until completing its NCAA reclassification period in 2012-13, there is an Chris Birrell 3.6 rpg incentive for the current crop of performers. The Bulldogs will play a full conference schedule this season, Nick Pontes 2.6 rpg count in the league standings and become eligible for the NEC weekly and postseason awards programs. Leading Returning Assists Chris Birrell 3.5 apg Barry Latham 1.5 apg Frontcourt Cecil Gresham 1.4 apg Two frontcourt starters return, led by 6’5” senior Cecil Gresham. An outstanding athlete who can score both inside and on the perimeter, he averaged a team-best 13.4 ppg and 4.7 rpg in 2008-09. Gresham, who scored 24 points against Providence last season, was also second on the Bulldogs with 57 shots from three-point territory. Fellow senior Nick Pontes gives the Bulldogs a physical presence down on the block. The 6’6”, 230 lb. forward played just 15.6 minutes per outing, but still ranked second on the squad with 7.7 ppg to go along with 2.6 rpg. Also returning are junior Barry Latham (4.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg), who contributed off the bench, and sophomore Papa Lo, a transfer from UMass who sat out 2008-09. Lo, a 6’9” center with an incredible wingspan, will give Bryant a much-needed defensive stopper and shot-blocker in the paint. As a freshman at UMass, Lo rejected an incredible 25 shots in just 89 minutes of play.

Backcourt A two-year starter at point, O’Shea will once again call on senior and local favorite Chris Birrell to direct the Bryant offense. A year ago, Birrell averaged 6.2 ppg, hit 35 shots from three-point range and led the team with 3.5 apg. Junior Adam Parzych (6.0 ppg) excelled in a reserve role and came on strong late in the season, including a three-game stretch in early February that saw the sharpshooter average 19.0 ppg in road wins over Saint Francis (PA), Monmouth and Quinnipiac. Sophomore Sam LeClerc (3.0 ppg) showed promise as a long range shooting threat, hitting 38.1 percent of his three-point attempts in his first year of collegiate competition.

Newcomers The addition of freshmen Erick Smith and Raphael Jordan, a pair of guards from the John Carroll School in Bel Air, MD, will give the team added backcourt depth. Smith is an athletic 6’3” point guard with good range on his shot, while the 6’1” Jordan is a hard-nosed defender who concluded his high school career ranked in the top-10 in points, assists, free throws and steals at John Carroll. Frankie Dobbs, a 6’3” transfer who played 32 games for Ohio University last season, will sit out 2009-10. Adding some size to the frontcourt will be freshmen Vladyslav Kondratyev, Claybrin McMath and Adam Herzing. Kondratyev and McMath are 6’8” forwards with contrasting styles. Kondratyev, who played at the Rock School in Gainesville, FL, is a hard-nosed power forward who can finish strong around the basket, while McMath is an athletic shooter who spent the last two years at the Australia Institute of Sport. Herzing, a Lynchburg, VA native who prepped at The Hill School in Pottstown, PA, has the distinction of being the program’s first-ever seven-footer. 2009-10 Northeast Conference Men’s Basketball Team-By-Team Previews

Central Connecticut State University CCSU By The Numbers

Outlook Quick Facts While other programs experience peaks and valleys, Central Connecticut State 2008-09 Overall Record: 13-17 2008-09 NEC Record/Finish: 8-10/Tie-6th has charted a steady course under , now in his 14th season at NEC Tournament Finish: Lost in quarterfinals Starters Returning/Lost: 4/1 the reigns of his alma mater. A year-in and year-out contender, the Blue Devils have qualified for the NEC Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 7/4 2008-09 Final RPI: 231 Tournament in each of the last 11 seasons, the longest current streak in the conference and tied for third Games Decided By 5 Points or Less: 6-3 longest in league history. With designs on capturing its fourth NEC championship since 2000, CCSU NEC Record returns five of its top six scorers, including one of the top players in the conference in junior forward Ken Last Two Years: 18-18 (.500) Last Three Years: 34-20 (.630) Horton. With five newcomers and a key transfer added to the mix, the Blue Devils should also be a deeper Last Four Years: 47-25 (.653) Last Five Years: 55-35 (.611) outfit than last season when Dickenman primarily employed an eight-man rotation. Overall Record Last Two Years: 27-33 (.450) Last Three Years 49-45 (.521) Frontcourt Last Four Years: 67-56 (.545) The cornerstone of the Blue Devil attack is Horton, a wiry, 6’6” athletic marvel who can score from every Last Five Years: 79-72 (.523 ) spot on the floor. As a sophomore, he ranked third in the NEC in scoring (16.5 ppg), recorded 20 or Leading Returning Scorers Ken Horton 16.5 ppg more points a league best 13 times, shot 50.3 percent from the field and hit at an 80.2 percent clip from the Shemik Thompson 11.5 ppg line. Not content to just set up down on the block or score his points in transition, the second team All-NEC Robby Ptacek 10.0 ppg and NABC All-District pick sports a mid-range game and also drilled a team-high 32 shots from beyond the Leading Returning Rebounders Ken Horton 5.8 rpg arc. Defensively, Horton has racked up 105 blocks over his first two seasons and finished third in the David Simmons 5.2 rpg Shemik Thompson 3.3 rpg conference a year ago with 1.6 per game. Junior David Simmons is a tough, durable forward in the mold Leading Returning Assists of many of his CCSU predecessors. At 6’5”, he finished second on the club with 5.2 rpg and scored a bulk Shemik Thompson 4.8 apg Robby Ptacek 2.3 apg of his 6.8 ppg on putbacks, befitting his active nature in and around the hoop. Simmons also shot a team- Ken Horton 1.5 apg high 60.9 percent from the floor. With a year of seasoning under his belt, athletic sophomore Chris Baskerville, a local player out of Hartford, could see more floor time in 2009-10.

Backcourt Now entering his junior season, former NEC Rookie of the Year Shemik Thompson will keep the Blue Devils offense running at full throttle. In 2008-09, the 6’0” point guard continued to develop a chemistry with Horton, often finding him for easy looks off drive-and-dish opportunities. Thompson finished as the third-leading distributor in the league with 4.8 apg and also ended the year second on CCSU with 11.5 ppg. Defensively, his quick hands and anticipation skills led to 2.0 spg, the second-best mark in the conference. Senior Joe Seymore and sophomore Robby Ptacek are a pair of shooting guards who have been given the green light by Dickenman to launch at will from long range. Seymore (6.4 ppg) is the elder statesman of the program, having played on CCSU’s NEC title team as a freshman in 2006-07. Since that time, the lefty has drained 143 three- pointers. Ptacek earned a starting spot as a freshman and did not disappoint, finishing as the third-leading scorer on the club with 10.0 ppg. A solid mid-range shooter, he also dropped 24 shots from outside the three-point stripe and was the NEC’s top free throw shooter at 87.8 percent. A wildcard for the Blue Devils this season is sophomore Vince Rosario, a transfer from Stonehill who comes armed with a reputation as a deadly outside shooter. In his freshman year in 2007-08, he averaged 9.7 ppg and hit 71 trifectas for the Skyhawks to earn Northeast-10 All-Rookie honors.

Newcomers With just three returnees, Dickenman added some needed depth to his front line by signing 6’6” forward Joseph Efese out of the New Jersey ranks, along with 6’5” Markeys Deans from Howard (TX) JC. Efese is a strong rebounder who can finish in traffic. Dickenman has had success tapping international talent in the past, and will look to strike gold again with the addition of Devan Bailey (Helsby, England) and Jonathan Tull (Toronto, Canada) to his backcourt. Bailey is noted for his on-the-ball defense and ability to force turnovers, but can also create his own shots and play either guard position. Tull will give the Blue Devils another scoring option on the perimeter. He averaged 19.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 4.0 apg over his final two years of high school. 2009-10 Northeast Conference Men’s Basketball Team-By-Team Previews

Fairleigh Dickinson University FDU By The Numbers Outlook Quick Facts The most notable offseason development in the NEC was the change in leader- 2008-09 Overall Record: 7-23 2008-09 NEC Record/Finish: 6-12/Tie-9th ship at Fairleigh Dickinson. In June, veteran coach Greg Vetrone was named as NEC Tournament Finish: Did not qualify Starters Returning/Lost: 4/1 the interim successor to longtime head coach , who concluded his Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 11/3 FDU career as the winningest coach in school history with 407 victories and four 2008-09 Final RPI: 314 Games Decided By 5 Points or Less: 4-1 conference titles to his credit. For Vetrone it marks his first head coaching position in a career that dates NEC Record back over 20 years, including a pair of assistant coaching stints at FDU, along with stops at Cal-Irvine, UNLV Last Two Years: 10-26 (.278) Last Three Years 19-35 (.352) and C.W. Post. His first order of business? Return the Knights to the NEC Tournament following a two-year Last Four Years: 33-39 (.458) drought. With an abundance of returning talent, including a host of upperclassmen, the Knights have Last Five Years: 46-44 (.511) ample opportunity for growth as they seek to reclaim their status as one of the NEC’s premier programs. Overall Record Last Two Years: 15-43 (.259) Last Three Years 29-59 (.330) Last Four Years: 49-71 (.408) Frontcourt Last Five Years: 69-84 (.451)

The Knights will sport the tallest collection of frontcourt players in the conference, with six players ranging Leading Returning Scorers Sean Baptiste 16.3 ppg from 6’7” to 7’2”, including returning starters Alvin Mofunanya and Kamil Svrdlik. A senior transfer from Cameron Tyler 13.3 ppg Saint Joseph’s, Mofunanya is an imposing presence at 6’8” and 245 lbs. In his first year season in Teaneck Alvin Mofunanya 9.0 ppg he averaged 9.0 ppg, ranked second on the Knights with 5.5 rpg, shot a team-best 51.1 percent from the Leading Returning Rebounders Sean Baptiste 5.9 rpg floor and was the leading shot blocker in the conference with 2.0 per game. His nine rejections against St. Alvin Mofunanya 5.5 rpg Peter’s last December was an NEC single-game season-high. Svrdlik, a 6’8” junior, also made a promising John Galvin 5.3 rpg debut for FDU in 2008-09. With a nice touch around the hoop, he contributed 6.9 ppg and hit 50.3 Leading Returning Assists Cameron Tyler 5.3 apg percent of his shot opportunities. Like Mofunanya, Svrdlik helped clog the middle for the Knights and Sean Baptiste 1.1 apg Terence Grier 1.1 apg ranked fourth in the NEC with 1.3 bpg. Rugged 6’9” junior John Galvin was a part-time starter last year who finished as the team’s third-leading rebounder with 5.3 per outing and also chipped in with 5.9 ppg. Vetrone and the Knights will benefit from the return of 6’9” sophomore DeJuan Pursley, who sat out last season. Equipped with terrific natural athletic ability and bothersome length, Pursley (5.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg , 30 blocks in 2007-08) came on strong late in his freshman campaign and could be the key figure as the Knights try to shore up the defensive and rebounding deficiencies that plagued the team in 2008-09. Montreal native Anaclet Mulumba Mbayi, an outstanding athlete, could make an immediate impact after redshirting last season. Senior center Lawrence Brown, the NEC’s tallest player at 7’2”, gives Vetrone another option off the bench.

Backcourt One of the top players in the conference, Sean Baptiste (1,034 career points) is back for his senior year. Possessing one of the most complete offensive packages in the league, Baptiste led the NEC with four 30+ point scoring efforts and 18.6 ppg in league play in 2008-09. Overall, he wrapped the campaign as the fourth-ranked point producer on the circuit with 16.3 ppg. His ability to beat defenders off the dribble, score in traffic and shoot with accuracy from three-point territory (48 makes last season) make him a difficult assignment, while his fearlessness and tenacity lead to ample opportunities on the glass. At 6’3”, Baptiste snared a team-high 5.9 rpg a year ago, the 11th best mark in the conference. At 5’11, junior Terence Grier (7.9 ppg) is a fearless penetrator who comes armed with a scorer’s mentality off the bench. Sophomore Sam Fernley hit 50.0 percent of his three-point attempts in limited action in his first season of collegiate ball.

Newcomers The Knights are high on 6’0” junior Mike Scott, a transfer from the College of Eastern Utah who also spent a season at TCU. The Philadelphia native is a true point guard who will have a chance to step directly into the starting lineup after starting 15 games and averaged 3.3 ppg and 2.1 apg for the Horned Frogs in 2007-08. FDU also signed 5’11” combo guard DeShawn Dockery - a Chicago native and the cousin of former Duke player Sean Dockery - out of Worcester Academy (MA). 2009-10 Northeast Conference Men’s Basketball Team-By-Team Previews

Long Island University Long Island By The Numbers Outlook Quick Facts Fresh off its highest conference finish (tie for second place) and first winning 2008-09 Overall Record: 16-14 2008-09 NEC Record/Finish: 12-6/Tie-2nd campaign (16-14) since 1997-98, optimism is rampant throughout the Long NEC Tournament Finish: Lost in quarterfinals Starters Returning/Lost: 3/2 Island basketball community as the 2009-10 season approaches. With three Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 10/4 starters and 10 letterwinners returning - including two-time All-NEC guard Jaytornah Wisseh and reigning 2008-09 Final RPI: 240 Games Decided By 5 Points or Less: 3-4 NEC Rookie of the Year - the Blackbirds and eighth year head coach are well NEC Record positioned to contend for NEC supremacy. LIU had high hopes of making a deep NEC Tournament run a Last Two Years: 19-17 (.528) Last Three Years 25-29 (.463) year ago, but suffered just its third home setback of the year in the quarterfinals, a heartbreaking 86-78 Last Four Years: 34-38 (.472) overtime loss to Quinnipiac. Last Five Years: 44-46 (.489) Overall Record Last Two Years: 31-29 (.517) Frontcourt Last Three Years 41-48 (.461) Last Four Years: 53-64 (.453) En-route to becoming LIU’s third NEC Rookie of the Year award winner - he joined James Williams (2003- Last Five Years: 67-79 (.460)

04) and Richie Parker (1996-97) - the 6’7” Boyd displayed all the necessary tools to develop into a Leading Returning Scorers Jaytornah Wisseh 15.2 ppg dominant forward in the conference over the next three seasons. He provided the Blackbirds with a Kyle Johnson 13.8 ppg needed low block presence and was a tireless worker on the offensive glass. Boyd finished the season Julian Boyd 10.5 ppg ranked first among NEC freshmen in rebounding (6.4 rpg) and second in scoring (10.5 ppg) despite Leading Returning Rebounders Julian Boyd 6.4 rpg coming off the bench all 29 games and averaging just 23.2 mpg. The six-time Choice Hotels Rookie of the Kyle Johnson 5.2 rpg Week should see his minutes rise with the graduation of workhorse Ron Manigault, who led LIU with 8.7 David Hicks 3.8 rpg Leading Returning Assists rpg last year. At 6’7” and with the ability to shoot from the outside, versatile sophomore forward Arnold Jaytornah Wisseh 4.4 apg Mayorga could also see more time up front. Set to debut this season are redshirt freshmen Miguel David Hicks 1.1 apg Kyle Johnson 0.6 apg Bocachica and Booker Hucks, two swingman types armed with a scorer’s mentality.

Backcourt The lone two-time returning NEC all-star, the cat-quick Wisseh has shown the ability to carry the Blackbirds for long stretches with his playmaking skills and scoring ability. He finished his junior year as the fourth-leading distributor in the conference with 4.4 apg, and also ranked eighth in scoring (15.2 ppg), sixth in free throw percentage (.802), and seventh in steals (1.6 spg). The Brooklyn native’s 1,182 career points and 373 assists rank him second and third, respectively, among active NEC players in both categories and put him in prime position to become just the seventh player in league history to reach 1,500 points and 500 assists. Suiting up alongside Wisseh once again in a three-guard rotation will be juniors Kyle Johnson and David Hicks. Once of the premier marksman on the circuit, the silky-smooth Johnson averaged 13.8 ppg and finished fourth in the league with 68 shots from three-point range in 2008-09. At 6’5”, he also contributed on the boards with 5.2 per game. Hicks (8.3 ppg) has built a reputation as a top on-the-ball defender and also sank 25 trifectas last season. Sophomore Michael Culpo (6.5 ppg) was a designated long range bomber a year ago, coming off the bench to drain 28 shots from beyond the arc in his freshman campaign.

Newcomers Ferry signed a pair of athletic 6’7” forwards in the offseason to add even more size to LIU’s frontcourt. Jamal Olasewere helped lead Springbrook (MD) to back-to-back state titles and averaged 20.0 ppg and 11.0 rpg as a senior, while Sugar Land, TX native Kenny Onyechi was named District MVP last season by the Houston Chronicle after averaging 17.0 ppg, 12.0 rpg and 4.0 bpg. Milos Nikolic, a lean 6’10” forward from Lugano, Switzerland, comes to Brooklyn by way of the City College of San Francisco, the same school Manigault attended prior to LIU. New York City native Corey Wright, Jr. will bid for court time in a crowded Blackbird backcourt, while C.J. Garner will sit out the year after transferring from South Alabama. A former high school teammate of Olasewere, Garner started 16 games and averaged 4.7 ppg for the Jaguars in 2008-09. 2009-10 Northeast Conference Men’s Basketball Team-By-Team Previews

Monmouth University Monmouth By The Numbers Outlook Quick Facts Excitement is sure to peak on the Jersey Shore this winter with the grand opening of 2008-09 Overall Record: 8-23 2008-09 NEC Record/Finish: 6-12/Tie-9th Monmouth’s 4,100 seat, state-of-the-art Multi-Purpose Activity Center (MAC). The NEC Tournament Finish: Did not qualify Starters Returning/Lost: 4/1 new facility - which debuts on November 13th with the Hawks taking on Florida Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 11/2 2007-08 Final RPI: 321 International, followed by a Garden State matchup with Seton Hall two days later - Games Decided By 5 Points or Less: 2-4 heralds a new era for a Monmouth program intent upon returning to the top of the NEC standings. Now in NEC Record his 13th year, head coach set the stage for a hoops revival last season when three impact Last Two Years: 10-26 (.278) Last Three Years 17-37 (.315) freshmen accounted for nearly half of the team’s offensive output. With the maturation of the team’s young Last Four Years: 29-43 (.403) Last Five Years: 43-47 (.578) talent, combined with another strong recruiting class and the return from injury of senior guard Whitney Overall Record Coleman, the Hawk faithful are justifiably optimistic heading into the 2009-10 campaign. Last Two Years: 15-47 (.242) Last Three Years 27-65 (.293) Last Four Years: 46-80 (.365) Frontcourt Last Five Years: 62-93 (.400) Sophomore forwards Travis Taylor and Mike Myers-Keitt injected new life into the Monmouth frontcourt Leading Returning Scorers Travis Taylor 12.4 ppg last season. Extremely agile and active around the hoop, Taylor was tabbed to the NEC All-Rookie team Whitney Coleman^ 11.9 ppg Will Campbell 9.1 ppg following a superb year that saw him lead the Hawks in scoring (12.6 ppg), rebounding (5.8 rpg), field Leading Returning Rebounders goal percentage (.542) and blocks (25) primarily in a reserve role. Likewise, the 6’7” Union, NJ native Travis Taylor 5.8 rpg Dutch Gaitley 4.9 rpg paced all conference freshmen in scoring and field goal accuracy. At a lean 6’7”, Myers-Keitt boasted a Whitney Coleman^ 3.9 rpg solid perimeter game as a frosh and was the only Monmouth player to start all 31 contests. He ranked third Leading Returning Assists on the club with 8.9 ppg and shot 81.0 percent from the line. Veteran center Dutch Gaitley manned the James Hett 4.4 apg Whitney Coleman 2.5 apg pivot for the Hawks in 2008-09, starting 26 games. One of three seniors on the team, the burly 6’9” Gaitley Travis Taylor 1.7 apg averaged 3.3 ppg and finished second on the club with 4.9 rpg. Juniors George Barbour (2.8 ppg) and ^ 2007-08 statistics Nick DelTufo (2.0 ppg) provide size and depth up front.

Backcourt After suffering a season-ending knee injury just nine minutes into the Hawks’ opening game a year ago, a healthy Coleman could pay huge dividends for the Hawks in 2009-10. The bouncy 6’3” combo guard is well schooled in the Monmouth motion offense, can score in traffic and with 108 career three-pointers, delivers from the outside. In 2007-08, he finished as Monmouth’s second-leading scorer with 11.9 ppg and was an 89.6 percent shooter from the charity stripe. Look for Coleman to form a potent one-two punch with last season’s revelation, Will Campbell. After averaging 4.2 ppg over his first 20 collegiate outings, Campbell put together an 11-game stretch to close out his freshman campaign that rivaled any player in the conference. The 5’10” Campbell scored in double-digits each game, reached 20 points on six occasions, averaged 18.1 ppg and shot 41.1 percent from three-point range. The hot stretch boosted his season average to 9.1 ppg, second on the Hawks. Calloway’s long distance shooting arsenal also includes senior Yaniv Simpson and junior swingman R.J. Rutledge. Possessing unlimited range,3 Simpson (7.7 ppg) led the Hawks with 53 shots three-point shots and converted 40.8 of his opportunities from beyond the arc to rank in the NEC top-10 in both categories. The silky smooth Rutledge (7.6 ppg) added 34 shots from long distance on 39.1 percent shooting. Steady junior James Hett returns to initiate the Monmouth offense. A two-year starter at the point, Hett (4.1 ppg) ended 2008-09 as the league leader in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.16:1) and ranked fifth in assists (4.4 apg). Junior Justin Sofman is expected to crack the rotation after sitting out last season following his transfer from Rutgers. A prolific shooter, Sofman played in 14 games for the Scarlet Knights in 2007-08.

Newcomers Calloway added some bulk to the lineup with the offseason additions of forwards Ed Waite and Marcus Ware. The 6’5”, 240 lb. Waite, who elected to play basketball despite being a highly recruited tight end out of Fort Lauderdale, FL, is a powerful inside player in the mold of recent Monmouth standouts Marques Alston and Blake Hamilton. The All-State performer will team with Ware, a Garden State recruit out of Vineland, who at 6’7”, 230 lbs. is versatile enough to play a number of positions. 2009-10 Northeast Conference Men’s Basketball Team-By-Team Previews

Mount St. Mary’s University Mount St. Mary’s By The Numbers Outlook Quick Facts The Mount St. Mary’s hoops renaissance under Milan Brown is in full swing. 2008-09 Overall Record: 19-14 2008-09 NEC Record/Finish: 12-6/Tie-2nd Over the past two seasons, the Mount has appeared in back-to-back North- NEC Tournament Finish: Lost in Title Game east Conference championship games (including the program’s third league crown in 2008), made Starters Returning/Lost: 3/2 Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 9/2 consecutive postseason appearances (NCAA in 2008, inaugural CollegeInsider Postseason Tournament 2007-08 Final RPI: 123 Games Decided By 5 Points or Less: 4-7 last season) and won 38 games, matching the best two-year period in the school’s Division I era. The best NEC Record may still ahead for the emerging program, one that is driven by the memory of how last season ended: on Last Two Years: 23-13 (.639) Last Three Years 32-22 (.593) a last-second 48-46 setback to Robert Morris in the NEC title game that deprived the Mount from becom- Last Four Years: 43-29 (.597) ing the first school to claim back-to-back conference titles in 15 years. Two factors have played into the Last Five Years: 48-42 (.533) recent spate of success in Emmitsburg, most notably the team’s commitment to hard work on the defensive Overall Record Last Two Years: 38-29 (.567) end of the floor. Last season, the Mountaineers led the league in scoring defense (63.0 ppg) and field goal Last Three Years 49-49 (.500) Last Four Years: 62-66 (.484) percentage defense (.419), and have held opponents to under 70 points in 49 of the team’s last 67 games. Last Five Years: 69-86 (.445 )

The second ingredient in the Mount’s resurgence can be traced to Jeremy Goode’s arrival in Emmitsburg Leading Returning Scorers back in 2006. The first team All-NEC and All-NABC senior point guard has spearheaded his team’s Jeremy Goode 14.9 ppg Jean Cajou 12.6 ppg transformation and should be a candidate for a multitude of honors by season’s end. Kelly Beidler 10.9 ppg Leading Returning Rebounders Kelly Beidler 6.9 rpg Frontcourt Shawn Atupem 3.5 rpg While Mount St. Mary’s will remain long and athletic up front this season, the graduation of battle-tested Jean Cajou 3.5 rpg veterans Sam Atupem and Markus Mitchell will require a number of seldom-used performers to produce Leading Returning Assists Jeremy Goode 4.1 apg at a high level if the Mount is successfully tackle a challenging non-league slate that includes eight games Jean Cajou 2.2 apg Kelly Beidler 2.1 apg against top-100 RPI teams and remain in the upper echelon of the NEC. Helping in their maturation will be senior Kelly Beidler and junior Shawn Atupem, two experienced players who have the potential to rank among the best at their position in the conference. One of the most versatile players in the league, the 6’5” Beidler averaged 10.9 ppg from his wing position, ranked fifth in the league with 6.9 rpg and hit 33 shots from three-point land. He also finished second on the Mount in assists, blocks and steals. Like Beidler, Atupem is a strong finisher on the break and can also handle himself down on the block. Coming off the bench in 2008-09, the 6’7” forward contributed 9.6 ppg on 53.6 percent shooting from the floor, and added 3.5 rpg. A pair of juniors - Pierre Brown and Tayvon Jackson - will be counted on for quality minutes this season. Brown (3.5 ppg, 55.6 FG%) is another multi-dimensional player who can float out to the perimeter or also score down low, while Jackson (0.8 ppg) can has the potential to be a strong contributor on the boards and as a shot blocker. Sophomore Danny Thompson, who has recovered from knee and foot injuries, as well as redshirt freshman Jacolby Wells, could also see time in a deep frontcourt.

Backcourt The Mount possesses one of the NEC’s elite starting backcourt units in Goode and junior Jean Cajou. Goode enters his senior campaign as the league’s leading active scorer (1,283 points) and distributor (471 assists). A one-man fast break, his end-to-end quickness creates scoring opportunities for both himself and teammates. In 2008-09, he led the Mount and ranked ninth in the NEC with 14.9 ppg, and also ended the year in the top-10 in assists (4.1, ninth), steals (1.9, third) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.72:1). Goode also improved his three-point shooting accuracy from 29.9 percent in 2007-08 to 37.2 percent a year ago. A defensive stopper, Cajou (12.6 ppg) earned second team NABC All-District honors as a sophomore. He also lit up teams from outside the arc with 51 three-pointers and finished second on the circuit in free-throw percentage at 87.7 percent. Senior Will Holland (4.9 ppg) gives Brown a reliable commodity off the bench who has amassed 113 career three- pointers over the last three seasons. Sophomore Lamar Trice will backup Goode at the point.

Newcomers Brown added another talented wing player in David Golladay, who was an honorable mention All-Met player in the Washington, D.C. area last season. He also bolstered his frontcourt with the addition of 6’8” Raven Barber and 6’9” Kristijan Krajina. A strong defensive player, Barber attended Paul VI High School in Fairfax, VA - the alma mater of Cajou - where he too earned honorable mention All-Met honors. Krajina, a native of Osijek, Croatia, is a perimeter-oriented post player who suffered a season-ending ACL injury last January at the Blue Ridge School in Virginia. 2009-10 Northeast Conference Men’s Basketball Team-By-Team Previews

Quinnipiac University Quinnipiac By The Numbers Outlook Quick Facts Following a challenging year that saw the Bobcats decimated with injuries, the stars 2008-09 Overall Record: 15-16 2008-09 NEC Record/Finish: 10-8/5th may be aligning for Quinnipiac to make a strong run at the program’s first NEC NEC Tournament Finish: Lost in Semifinals Starters Returning/Lost: 3/2 crown in 2009-10. The seeds were planted last season when guided Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 8/5 2008-09 Final RPI: 234 the Bobcats to the conference semifinals despite the absences of Evann Baker Games Decided By 5 Points or Less: 6-8 (2007-08 NEC All-Rookie selection) and Jonathan Cruz (URI transfer), who sat out 2008-09 with knee NEC Record and foot injuries, respectively. With third-leading scorer Jeremy Baker and starting forward Louis Brookins Last Two Years: 21-15 (.583) Last Three Years 32-22 (.593) also missing extended periods, Quinnipiac often suited up just six or seven scholarship players, yet were Last Four Years: 39-33 (.542) Last Five Years: 45-45 (.500) still able to ring up 15 victories by year’s end. Now entering his third season, Moore will not only have a full Overall Record complement of players to work with, but there is no shortage of proven firepower with the return of All-NEC Last Two Years: 30-31 (.492) Last Three Years 44-46 (.489) honorees Justin Rutty and James Feldeine, along with NEC All-Rookie performer James Johnson. Last Four Years: 56-62 (.475) Last Five Years: 66-79 (.455) Frontcourt Leading Returning Scorers James Feldeine 17.0 ppg Following a promising freshman campaign in 2007-08, Rutty struck fear into his low block contemporar- Justin Rutty 14.8 ppg Evann Baker^ 10.9 ppg ies last season. Whether showcasing his post skills, defending in the paint or displaying his rebounding Leading Returning Rebounders prowess, the 6’7”, 240 lb. center was a game-changer for the Bobcats. Rutty led the NEC with 9.8 rpg and Justin Rutty 9.8 rpg James Feldeine 6.0 rpg 13 double-doubles, ranked second in field goal shooting (.604), and finished tenth in scoring (14.8 ppg) Jeremy Baker 5.0 rpg to claim first team All-Conference and NABC All-District accolades. He also earned notice nationally by Leading Returning Assists James Johnson 4.1 apg averaging 4.6 offensive caroms per outings, second in Division I behind Pittsburgh All-American DeJuan Evann Baker^ 2.6 apg Blair. After a two-year wait, Cruz, a 6’7” junior forward, will finally suit up for the Bobcats this winter. An James Feldeine 2.4 apg inside-outside threat and solid passer, Cruz last saw action for URI in 2006-07 before sitting out the ^ 2007-08 Statistics following season due to NCAA regulations and 2008-09 with a foot injury suffered prior to the start of the practice season. Sophomore forward Eric Coggins (1.7 ppg, 2.0 rpg) saw action in 29 games last season, and at 6’9”, is the tallest player on the roster. He showed some offensive promise in limited minutes, hitting 57.6 percent of his shot attempts.

Backcourt Quinnipiac sports the formidable one-two punch of senior swingman James Feldeine and sophomore point guard James Johnson. Feldeine came into his own last season and claimed the inaugural NEC Most Improved Player award after lifting his scoring average from 8.3 ppg as a sophomore to a league-high 17.0 ppg in 2008-09. Picture-perfect jump shot aside - the 6’4” New York City native hit 46 shots from three-point range - Feldeine can score in a variety of ways, from converting in transition to attacking the basket in traffic. He also finished tenth in the conference in rebounding with 6.0 per contest and tallied three double-doubles en-route to second team All-NEC and NABC All-District plaudits. Moore immediately installed Johnson as the team’s floor general upon his arrival in Hamden last season. The six-foot dynamo showed uncommon composure for a freshman, logging over 32 minutes per game in his 31 starts. Johnson averaged 9.8 ppg and led all NEC freshman with 4.1 apg and 1.6 spg. Senior Jeremy Baker battled back from an early season injury to give the Bobcats a valuable weapon down the stretch. A physical guard who enjoys mixing it up inside, Baker averaged 10.3 ppg and snared 5.0 rpg. His brother, Evann, could give Quinnipiac even more backcourt depth if he can make a full recovery from the knee injury that sidelined him last season. In 2007-08, Baker was the league’s second-leading freshman scorer (11.1 ppg) and hit 53.3 percent of his three-point opportunities.

Newcomers Moore continued to stockpile talent in the offseason, beginning with versatile 6’7” forward Jamee Jackson out of hallowed St. Anthony’s in Jersey City, NJ. Jackson averaged 11.0 ppg last season playing under legendary head coach Bob Hurley and was part of the nation’s top-ranked (32-0) team as a junior. At 6’6”, London, England native and Towson Catholic (MD) graduate Raheem May-Thompson will add more size up front. Three additional recruits will fortify an already strong backcourt. Junior Deontay Twyman originally attended Ball State and played last year for Polk CC, where he averaged 17.3 ppg and hit over 42 percent of his three-point shots. Freshman sharpshooter Ryan Bogdan hit 71 treys in his senior season at Pinewood Prep in Summerville, SC, where he was recognized as an All-State selection. Dave Johnson is a quick 5’10” point guard out of the St. Mark’s School in Southborough, MA who averaged 8.0 apg as a senior. 2009-10 Northeast Conference Men’s Basketball Team-By-Team Previews

Robert Morris University Robert Morris By The Numbers

Outlook Quick Facts In ’s first two years leading Robert Morris, he established the Colonials as a 2008-09 Overall Record: 24-11 2008-09 NEC Record/Finish: 15-3/1st dominant force in the NEC and as one of the nation’s rising mid-major programs. The NEC Tournament Finish: Won NEC Title Starters Returning/Lost: 3/2 superlatives speak for themselves: a league record 50 wins over two seasons; a 31-5 Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 7/3 2008-09 Final RPI: 108 record against conference opposition, including 15 straight road wins at one point Games Decided By 5 Points or Less: 5-2 over NEC rivals; two consecutive NEC regular season crowns; the program’s sixth NEC Tournament cham- NEC Record Last Two Years:* 31-5 (.861) pionship a year ago; trips to the Postseason NIT in 2008 and NCAA Tournament in 2009; two NEC Player Last Three Years* 40-14 (.741) Last Four Years:* 50-22 (.708) of the Year award winners; and finally, two NEC Coach of the Year honors for Rice himself. When the Last Five Years:* 61-29 (.678)

Colonials’ magic carpet ride came to an end last season following a competitive loss to eventual NCAA Overall Record runner-up Michigan State, attention quickly turned to the future. Robert Morris didn’t miss a beat when Last Two Years:* 50-19 (.725) Last Three Years:* 67-30 (.691) NEC Player of the Year Tony Lee and perennial all-star A.J. Jackson graduated following the 2007-08 Last Four Years:* 82-44 (.651) Last Five Years:* 96-59 (.619) season, but it remains to be seen if the Colonials can also withstand the loss of 2008-09 NEC Player of the Leading Returning Scorers Year Jeremy Chappell and NEC Defensive Player of the Year Bateko Francisco and still maintain their lofty Rob Robinson 11.2 ppg Jimmy Langhurst 9.9 ppg status atop the conference. With five seniors and seven upperclassmen on the roster, however, there is no Dallas Green 6.6 ppg dearth of talent for Rice to work with as Robert Morris looks to become the first repeat champion in the Leading Returning Rebounders Rob Robinson 5.6 rpg conference since Rider in 1993 and 1994. Dallas Green 4.4 rpg Mezie Nwigwe 3.3 rpg Frontcourt Leading Returning Assists Mezie Nwigwe 2.5 apg For the Colonials to stay ahead of the competition, senior forward Rob Robinson (11.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg) will Jimmy Langhurst 2.3 apg Gary Wallace 1.8 apg likely need to elevate his game to the next level, a la Chappell in 2008-09. A transfer from Globe Institute, the 6’8” Robinson started slow, but came on strong in league play where he averaged 12.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg * Best in NEC and shot 56.9 percent from the floor. A terrific athlete and dazzling dunker, he collected second team All- NEC and NABC All-District honors, and was tabbed to the NEC All-Tournament team. While Robinson’s sturdy post play will be a key factor in RMU’s success, it is his defensive effort along with that of senior Dallas Green that will likely pay dividends on such a defensive-minded team. The duo combined for 62 blocks last season and bothered opponents with their length in the paint. Green (6.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg) also led the Colonials with 56.4 percent shooting from the field,including one memorable shot that fans will remember for years to come. When Green hit a 12 foot jumper with 2.2 seconds to lift RMU to a 48-46 victory over Mount St. Mary’s in the NEC championship game, he established a place in RMU folklore. Rugged senior Josiah Whitehead (4.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg) gave the Colonials solid play off the bench last season.

Backcourt Seniors Jimmy Langhurst and Mezie Nwigwe are battle-tested veterans who have performed in the clutch for the Colonials. One of the top outside shooters on the circuit, Langhurst drilled 66 trifectas and ranked third in the conference in three-point accuracy last season, hitting 42.3 percent of his attempts. A two-year starter, Langhurst averaged 9.9 ppg and turned the ball over just 45 times all season. Nwigwe’s athleticism and ability to create his own shot should enable him to pick up some of the scoring slack left by Chappell’s departure. Along with Nwigwe (6.5 ppg), junior Gary Wallace was a key reserve for the Colonials last season. A point guard by nature, Wallace (5.9 ppg) also proved to be a capable three-point threat, hitting 49.2 percent of his long range shots. Velton Jones and Russell Johnson, two highly regarded players who sat out 2008-09, could vie for starting spots as well.

Newcomers Rice added to the talent pool in the offseason with four signees. Coron Williams, a 6’2” guard out of Midlothian, VA, was a standout shooter in high school, while 5’9” Karon Abraham is a combo guard and tenacious defender out of Paterson, NJ. Brad Piehl and Lijah Thompson will add size and depth to the Colonial frontcourt. Piehl, a 6’8” forward out of New Knoxville, OH, can play forward or center and is a capable outside shooter. Thompson is a 6’7” Philadelphia native who will add a defensive presence in the post. 2009-10 Northeast Conference Men’s Basketball Team-By-Team Previews

Sacred Heart University Sacred Heart By The Numbers Outlook Quick Facts Sacred Heart has developed into one of the elite NEC programs over the last three 2008-09 Overall Record: 17-14 2008-09 NEC Record/Finish: 12-6/Tie-2nd years with two straight trips to the conference title game followed by a hard fought NEC Tournament Finish: Lost in Semifinals Starters Returning/Lost: 3/2 tournament semifinal loss at Mount St. Mary’s last season in one of the more Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 10/2 2008-09 Final RPI: 182 memorable postseason games in recent years. The Pioneers have also posted Games Decided By 5 Points or Less: 3-6 three straight winning campaigns and have gone 37-17 against conference opposition since 2006-07. NEC Record The architect of Sacred Heart’s hoops revival is longtime head coach Dave Bike, who enters his 31st year Last Two Years: 25-11 (.694) Last Three Years 37-17 (.685) in Fairfield. While Bike returns one more of the more experienced units in the league, the challenge will be Last Four Years: 45-27 (.625) in replacing longtime Pioneer stalwarts Joey Henley and Ryan Howard. Henley, a first team All-NEC forward Last Five Years: 48-42 (.533) Overall Record known for his incredible athleticism and vaunted grit as he battled through injuries throughout his career, Last Two Years: 35-28 (.556) led the team in scoring and rebounding. Howard was a steady performer throughout his career, who Last Three Years 53-42 (.558) Last Four Years: 64-59 (.520) ranked second on Sacred Heart in rebounding and was a double figure scorer as a senior. As Bike Last Five Years: 68-82 (.453) attempts to rebuild his front line, he does possess a number of weapons in a deep, experienced backcourt. Leading Returning Scorers Corey Hassan 11.4 ppg Chauncey Hardy 11.3 ppg Frontcourt Shane Gibson 8.1 ppg The lone experienced returnee up front is junior center Mehmet Sahan, who averaged 4.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg Leading Returning Rebounders Corey Hassan 3.9 rpg and had 19 blocks in 2008-09. Sahan, a 6’9”, 245 lb. center, started 11 games last season and showed Mehmet Sahan 3.3 rpg signs of developing into a true low post threat. Sophomore wing player Stan Dulaire (2.1 ppg) contributed Ryan Litke 3.2 rpg Leading Returning Assists off the bench last season and hit 54.3 percent of his shot attempts. Bike will also benefit from the return of Chauncey Hardy 3.6 apg one of the NEC’s tallest players, 7’0” center Liam Potter, who sat out the 2008-09 season. Redshirt Corey Hassan 3.2 apg Ryan Litke 2.1 apg freshman Nick Greenbacker, a 6’9” forward, will provide depth.

Backcourt Loaded with proven talent, the Pioneers should once again rank among the nation’s premier long distance shooting outfits. A year ago, Sacred Heart hit 39.4 percent of its long range shots to finish 14th nationally in the category and had four returnees hit at least 37 shots from three-point territory. Senior point guard Chauncy Hardy not only led the Pioneers with 3.6 apg, but also contributed 11.3 ppg and ranked second in the NEC by converting 42.7 percent of his three-point opportunities. Classmate Corey Hassan (11.4 ppg) comes off a sizzling second half in which he averaged 16.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 3.4 apg and hit 36-74 (.486) shots from beyond the arc over the last ten games of the year. On the season, he led Sacred Heart with 68 treys and ranked fifth in the league in 3PFG made (2.2/game) and 3PFG percentage (.412). A third senior, Ryan Litke, split his time between a starting role - often in a three-guard alignment - and adding scoring punch off the bench. Litke (7.9 ppg) recorded 59 three- pointers and ranked seventh on the circuit with 1.9 per outing. He leads all NEC returning players with 185 career three-point field goals. The youngest member of the shooting brigade is sophomore Shane Gibson. An all-around talent who can score in traffic or pull up and shoot with range (37 3PFG, 42.0 3PFG%), Gibson averaged 8.1 ppg and displayed star potential as a freshman. Junior point guard Jerrell Thompson (3.3 ppg) delivered in key moments off the bench last season, including a pair of double-digit efforts to close out the regular season and a nine-point performance in an NEC quarterfinal win over CCSU.

Newcomers To fill the void up front left by Henley and Howard’s departure, Bike added 6’6” zFemi Akinpetide and 6’7” Paris Massey. A blue-collar type from Sydney, Australia, Akinpetide is a transfer from UMKC who will sit out 2009-10. Massey’s athleticism and wingspan will give the Pioneers a solid post defender, shot blocker and rebounder. 2009-10 Northeast Conference Men’s Basketball Team-By-Team Previews

St. Francis (NY) University St. Francis (NY) By The Numbers Outlook Quick Facts St. Francis (NY) seemed headed in the right direction early last season with 2008-09 Overall Record: 10-20 2008-09 NEC Record/Finish: 7-11/8th non-league wins over local rivals Manhattan and Columbia, a convincing road NEC Tournament Finish: Lost in Quarterfinals Starters Returning/Lost: 4/1 triumph over eventual NEC champion Robert Morris and a narrow setback at Big East opponent St. John’s. Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 7/4 In an instant, however, a season filled with promise took an abrupt turn over the holidays when stellar 2008-09 Final RPI: 280 Games Decided By 5 Points or Less: 5-4 forward Kayode Ayeni went down with a torn ACL. Ayeni’s absence left a gaping hole in the frontcourt, but NEC Record a star turn from sophomore guard Ricky Cadell kept the Terriers in the thick of the playoff hunt. St. Francis Last Two Years: 11-25 (.306) Last Three Years 18-36 (.333) eventually qualified for the NEC Tournament for the 17th time in the last 19 years before bowing to top- Last Four Years: 25-47 (.347) seeded Robert Morris in the quarterfinals. With Ayeni healthy and a slew of talented newcomers in the Last Five Years: 34-56 (.378) pipeline, a move up the conference standings is well within reach for Brian Nash, who enters his fifth year Overall Record Last Two Years: 17-42 (.288) at the helm of the Brooklyn Heights program. Last Three Years 26-64 (.289) Last Four Years: 36-81 (.308) Last Five Years: 49-96 (.338)

Frontcourt Leading Returning Scorers Ricky Cadell 15.3 ppg The 6’5” Ayeni was leading St. Francis with 13.3 ppg and 8.5 rpg when he went down last season and had Kayode Ayeni 13.3 ppg already accumulated five double-doubles in ten outings. With a sinewy frame and explosive leaping ability, Stefan Perunicic 10.8 ppg his return will give a boost to the Terriers’ transition game and help shore up last season’s rebounding Leading Returning Rebounders Kayode Ayeni 8.5 rpg deficiencies. Ayeni is also a capable mid-range shooter who also displayed a soft touch from outside the Herman Wrice 5.4 rpg arc (14 3PFG, 38.9 3PFG%). Sophomore forward Stefan Perunicic took the league by storm a year ago Nigel Byam 3.4 rpg Leading Returning Assists when he established an NEC freshman record with 87 three-pointers and finished third on the team with Ricky Cadell 2.5 apg 10.8 ppg. Perunicic’s ability to stretch a defense with his unlimited range will help open up the middle for Justin Newton 1.8 apg Kayode Ayeni 1.5 apg 6’7” senior forwards Herman Wrice and Nigel Byam. Wrice (4.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg) made his presence felt on the defensive end with 51 blocks and finished second in the conference with 1.7 bpg, while Byam (5.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg) hit 50.8 percent of his shot attempts down on the block in 2008-09. Look for increased minutes for 6’9” center Richard Clark, an outside scoring threat who displayed promise as a freshman.

Backcourt A 6’2” combo guard who is as adept scoring in traffic as he is draining shots from long range, Cadell blossomed into one of the league’s premier guards last season when handed the keys to the Terrier offense. Over the 20 games of the year following Ayeni’s injury, Cadell averaged 17.7 ppg and 3.4 rpg, while shooting a robust 47.7 percent from the field, including 40.9 percent from outside the arc. On the year, he finished seventh in the conference in scoring at 15.3 ppg, hit 56 three-pointers and drained 40.0 percent of his three-point attempts. The loss of floor general and 1,000-point scorer Jamaal Womack will clear more time for Justin Newton, who showed promise at the point with 55 assists in limited action last season.

Newcomers Nash snared a potential impact player up front with the signing of 6’9” shot blocker Alexander Harrington out of Brown Mackie JC. Also expected to earn minutes up front is 6’6” Brooklyn product Akeem Johnson, who averaged 25.3 ppg and 12.1 ppg at Susan S. McKinney High School. Nash also landed a potential impact transfer in 6’11”, 255 lb. Mike Davis, who played the last two seasons at Seton Hall. Davis, who will sit out 2009-10, started five games and averaged 2.6 ppg and 2.3 rpg for the Pirates last season. Lacking bodies in the backcourt, 5’11” Brandon Fisher and 6’3” Akeem Bennett will compete for a starting position. Fisher poured in 1,040 points (127 treys) over the past two seasons at Los Angeles City College. Bennett, a Long Island native, averaged 10.6 ppg for Western Oklahoma State College a year ago. 2009-10 Northeast Conference Men’s Basketball Team-By-Team Previews

Saint Francis (PA) University Saint Francis (PA) By The Numbers Outlook Quick Facts While the Don Friday era at Saint Francis (PA) officially launched a year ago, the 2008-09 Overall Record: 6-23 2008-09 NEC Record/Finish: 3-15/11th 2009-10 season will prove to be more of a true barometer as to the future direction NEC Tournament Finish: Did not qualify Starters Returning/Lost: 3/2 of the program. Following the graduation of five seniors, Red Flash fans will need Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 5/6 a scorecard to keep track of the ten new faces set to suit up for the November 13th 2008-09 Final RPI: 322 Games Decided By 5 Points or Less: 3-4 home opener against American. Friday’s recruiting bonanza has added a healthy dose of size and NEC Record athleticismto a team that has set its sights on the program’s first NEC Tournament berth since 2006. With a Last Two Years: 7-29 (.194) Last Three Years 12-42 (.222) number of starting spots up for grabs, look for a host of newcomers to help established veterans Devin Last Four Years: 14-58 (.194) Sweetney and Mislav Jukic jump start an offense that averaged just 61.1 ppg last season. Last Five Years: 24-66 (.267) Overall Record Last Two Years: 12-46 (.207) Frontcourt Last Three Years 20-67 (.230) Last Four Years: 24-91 (.209) All three starters return up front for Saint Francis, led by Sweetney, a prodigious talent who missed six Last Five Years: 39-104 (.273) games with a hand injury last season. Long and athletic, Sweetney continues to be a matchup nightmare Leading Returning Scorers Devin Sweetney 16.3 ppg for opponents due to his effective inside-outside game. The 6’6” senior cracked the 1,000-point mark for Mislav Jukic 10.4 ppg his career last February and enters this coming year as third-leading active scorer (1,056 points) and Kurt Hoffman 4.3 ppg leading active rebounder (548) in the conference. A consistent performer, Sweetney scored in double- Leading Returning Rebounders Devin Sweetney 7.9 rpg figures in all but one game in 2008-09, and ranked fifth in the NEC in scoring (16.3 ppg), third in Mislav Jukic 4.8 rpg rebounding (7.9 rpg) and second in double-doubles (seven). With an accurate mid-range shot and Kurt Hoffman 3.9 rpg emerging low post game, Jukic flanked Sweetney on the front line last season and earned recognition as Leading Returning Assists Mislav Jukic 1.1 apg one of the league’s most improved performers. Despite playing in pain all year, the 6’7” senior lifted his Devin Sweetney 1.1 apg Sorena Orandi 0.9 apg scoring average from 2.0 ppg as a sophomore to 10.4 ppg a year ago, while hitting 47.3 percent of his shots from the floor. He ranked second on the Red Flash in scoring and rebounding (4.8 rpg), and also rejcted a team-best 21 shots. Senior Kurt Hoffman (4.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg) brings experience to the young team, having started 34 games over the last two seasons. A year ago, he hit 49.5 percent of his shots from the floor to pace Saint Francis.

Backcourt The graduation of longtime starters Cale Nelson (7.8 ppg) and Marquis Ford (9.2 ppg), along with key reserves Kyle Jackson (5.6 ppg) and Grant Surprenant (5.3 ppg) has left a wide open competition for playing time in the backcourt. The lone returnees are junior Sorena Orandi (1.7 ppg) and senior Chris McFarland (0.6 ppg), both of whom saw limited playing time last season.

Newcomers Practices should be intense leading up to the start of the season as players jockey for court time. Chris Johnson, who averaged 15.4 ppg and 6.3 apg as a senior at Denbigh High School in Newport News, VA last season, will be given a look at the point along with Atlantic City’s Umar Shannon. Anthony Ervin will compete for minutes at the two-spot after putting up big scoring numbers in his high school career followed by two postgraduate years at Fork Union Academy, Curtis Keys, a redshirt freshman out of Reston, VA, sat out last season but practiced with the team. Up front, 6’6” Cedric Lattimer is a transfer from Santa Clara who also sat out 2008-09. He will be joined by 6’6” Will Felder, 6’5” Austin Fowler and 6’8” forwards Tony Peters and Ron Johnson. Felder averaged 25.0 ppg and 13.0 rpg for Cleveland’s Lutheran East as a senior, while Peters also averaged a double-double at Seton Hall Prep in New Jersey with 23.0 ppg and 14.0 rpg in 2008-09. Fowler is an adept perimeter shooter out of Farmington Hills, MI who contributed 17.0 ppg and 9.0 rpg as a senior at Detroit’s Brother Rice. Look for Johnson, a Gettysburg, PA product, to provide a defensive and shot blocking presence. 2009-10 Northeast Conference Men’s Basketball Team-By-Team Previews

Wagner College Wagner By The Numbers Outlook Quick Facts A changing of the guard is in order for Wagner and seventh year head 2008-09 Overall Record: 16-14 2008-09 NEC Record/Finish: 8-10/Tie-6th coach Mike Deane. After contributing to 39 wins over the last two years, the NEC Tournament Finish: Lost in Quarterfinals Seahawks’ four-leading scorers - Joey Mundweiler, Jamal Smith, Llew Rad- Starters Returning/Lost: 1/4 Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 7/4 ford and Justin Drummond - who combined to average nearly 50 points per game in 2008-09, were all lost 2008-09 Final RPI: 248 Games Decided By 5 Points or Less: 5-3 to graduation, leaving seven returnees who accounted for just under 20 points per outing. To combat the NEC Record losses, Deane restocked his program in the offseason with five signees joining a pair of redshirt freshmen Last Two Years: 23-13 (.639) Last Three Years 31-23 (.574) in a new-look Wagner lineup. Last Four Years: 37-35 (.514) Last Five Years: 47-43 (.522) Frontcourt Overall Record Last Two Years: 39-22 (.639) While not particularly deep with the departures of Smith and Radford, Wagner will sport one of the bigger Last Three Years 50-41 (.549) Last Four Years: 63-55 (.534) frontcourts in the NEC with six players measuring at least 6’7”. At 6’7”, 230 lbs., senior Michael Orock Last Five Years: 76-72 (.514) gives Deane a physical presence in the paint. With limited touches, the Seahawks’ lone returning starter Leading Returning Scorers averaged 3.2 ppg on 53.3 percent shooting from the floor, and added 3.3 rpg. Juniors Clifton Spiller and Chris Martin 6.1 ppg Michael Orock 3.2 ppg Clayfell Harris are also wide bodies who will be bidding for additional playing time this season. The 6’7”, Doug Elwell 2.8 ppg 225 lb. Spiller (2.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg) was a force on the offensive glass and hit 60.8 percent of his field goal Leading Returning Rebounders Michael Orock 3.3 rpg attempts a year ago, while the 6’8, 240 lb. Harris (1.5 ppg) showed promise as a shot blocker with 13 Clifton Spiller 2.8 rpg rejections in limited action. After sitting out 2008-09, 6’8” redshirt freshman Ryan Schrotenboer will also Doug Elwell 1.7 rpg make his debut. Leading Returning Assists TJ Czeski 1.6 apg Doug Elwell 1.4 apg Tyler Murray 1.2 apg Backcourt While it will be impossible to replace the long distance marksmanship of Mundweiler, who graduated as the second-leading three-point artist in NEC history with 312 trifectas, sophomore Chris Martin appears ready to assume a similar role. As a freshman, he hit 46 shots from outside the arc and led the conference in three-point percentage, converting 45.5 percent of his attempts. The leading returning scorer for the Seahawks (6.1 ppg), Martin demonstrated he was unafraid to take - and make - big shots in his first season of collegiate ball, and should pad his scoring numbers significantly with added minutes this year. Staten Island native Doug Elwell (2.8 ppg) is one of just two seniors on the Seahawks. The 6’5” fifth-year swingman sported a near 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio last season and netted 21 three- pointers. Junior TJ Czeski (2.6 ppg) and sophomore Tyler Murray (2.6 ppg) will also be in the mix for playing time. Czeski is a gritty player who is also a defensive back on Wagner’s football team, while the 6’5” Murray is a shooting guard who displayed a glimpse of his potential with a career- best 13 points at Kansas St. last December. An alum of St. Augustine Prep in New Jersey - the same high school that in recent years produced Wagner all-time greats Mark Porter and Durell Vinson - Josh Thompson could also contribute after sitting out his freshman season.

Newcomers The most talked about newcomer on the Seahawk roster comes with a familiar name. Deane is hoping Danny Mundweiler picks up where his brother left off and continues the family dynasty at Wagner. With a sweet three-point shot that is sure to conjure up images of his brother, the Overland Park, KS native averaged 17.8 ppg and connected on 40 percent of his three-point attempts to earn All-State honors as a senior at Olathe East. Ryan Conrad will also look to make an impact following a decorated career at Providence Day in Charlotte, NC where he scored more than 1,600 points and averaged 27.8 ppg a year ago. Conrad, who was tabbed third team All-State as a senior, will immediately compete for playing time at the point. Up front, Deane added 6’5” Garrett Constance, 6’7” Colin Sekal and 6’7” Phillip Roth. Constance, a wing player and noted outside shooter, and Roth, a physical rebounder, are Texas natives. Constance averaged 13.2 ppg and shot 42.0 percent from three-point range as a senior at Woodlands, while Roth posted 11.0 ppg and 7.7 rpg at Richardson. Sekal, out of Columbus, NC, is a rangy athlete with an inside-outside game that could cause matchup problems for defenders. He tallied 8.9 ppg and 7.8 rpg for powerhouse Veritas Christian Academy in 2008-09.