1:00 Pm Nov. 20 at Illinois State!
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TONIGHT’S ACTION: The Fairleigh Dickinson University 2012-13 SCHEDULE/RESULTS men’s basketball team will open the 2012-13 season at Xavier of the Atlantic-10 Conference. The game is hosted at the Cintas Center Nov. 9 at Xavier 7:00 p.m. in Cincinnati, Ohio and will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Ohio. Nov. 18 at Northwestern! 1:00 p.m. Friday is the first day NCAA men’s basketball teams are eligible to Nov. 20 at Illinois State! 8:05 p.m. compete in regular season contests. Nov. 23 vs. Delaware State! 1:00 p.m. Nov. 24 vs. TBD! TBD Nov. 28 at Saint Peter’s 7:00 p.m. THE SERIES: Friday’s matchup will be the first ever meeting Dec. 1 at Lehigh 7:00 p.m. between the Knights and the Muskateers. Dec. 7 Lafayette 7:00 p.m. Dec. 9 Hartford 4:00 p.m. Dec. 22 at Vermont 2:00 p.m. Dec. 29 at VCU 4:00 p.m. PROBABLE STARTERS: Dec. 31 at Longwood 2:00 p.m. Jan. 3 at Mt. St. Mary’s* 7:00 p.m. #5 | Melquan Bolding | 6’3 | 195 | Sr. | G | Mt. Vernon, N.Y. Jan. 5 at Wagner* 4:00 p.m. Bolding will serve as this year’s captain for the Knights. The Jan. 10 Robert Morris* 7:00 p.m. senior averaged 15.1 points per game last season and scored a Jan. 12 Saint Francis PA* 7:00 p.m. career-high 38 points against Longwood. Jan. 14 NJIT 4:30 p.m. Jan. 17 LIU Brooklyn* 7:00 p.m. #22 | Mathias Seilund | 6’7 | 205 | Jr. | F | Dragoer, Denmark Jan. 19 at St. Francis NY* 4:30 p.m. The junior saw action in 28 games last season with an average of Jan. 24 at Monmouth* 7:00 p.m. 17 minutes per game. Averaged 3.2 points and 1.9 rebounds per Jan. 26 at Quinnipiac* 12:00 p.m. game, while leading the team with an .824 free-throw percentage. Jan. 31 Bryant* 7:00 p.m. Feb. 2 Central Conn. St.* 7:00 p.m. #23 | Lonnie Robinson | 6’5 | 220 | Sr. | F | Deerfield Beach, Fla. Feb. 7 at Sacred Heart* 7:00 p.m. The senior will lead the backcourt for the Knights this season. Feb. 9 Monmouth* 7:00 p.m. He played all 29 games last year with 25 starts. Averaged 6.9 Feb. 14 St. Francis NY* 7:00 p.m. points per game with a .354 three-point shooting percentage. Feb. 16 at LIU Brooklyn* 4:30 p.m. Feb. 21 at Saint Francis PA* 7:00 p.m. #24 | Mustafaa Jones | 6’3 | 180 | So. | G | Philadelphia, Pa. Feb. 23 at Robert Morris* 7:00 p.m. Jones will make his debut with the Knights after sitting out last Feb. 28 Wagner* 7:00 p.m. season. The sophomore is a transfer from Hartford. Mar. 2 Mt. St. Mary’s* 7:00 p.m. ! South Padre Island Invitational #34 | Kyle Pearson | 6’5 | 190 | Fr. | F | Woodbridge, N.J. * Northeast Conference Pearson will make his collegiate debut on Friday. The local rooke averaged 21 points and eight rebounds for Woodbridge High School last year. GENERAL INFORMATION THE KNIGHTS TONIGHT: Captain Melquan Location: ......................................Teaneck, NJ Bolding will lead the Knights in their season debut. Founded: .......................................1942 The senior averaged 15.1 points per game last season. Enrollment: ..................................6,051 Senior Lonnie Robinson will help Bolding in the Nickname: ....................................Knights backcourt. The guard averaged 6.9 points per game Colors: ..........................................Burgundy & Blue Affiliation: ....................................NCAA Division I last season and saw plenty of playing time with 25 Conference: ..................................Northeast starts in 29 games. Acting President: ..........................Sheldon Drucker NCAA Faculty Rep: .....................Dr. Marion McClary Head Coach Greg Vetrone will use youth to help Athletic Director: .........................David Langford the Knights recover from a 3-26 record last season. Athletic Phone: ............................201-692-2208 Freshmen Xavier Harris and Kyle Pearson will look to make an immediate impact against Xavier on ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS Friday night. Assistant AD/Communications: ..Chris Strauch Office Phone: ................................201-692-2204 SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: The Muskateers MBB Contact/Assistant Director of Athletic are coming off a Sweet 16 appearance and their sev- Communications: .........................Jamie Church Email: [email protected] enth-consecutive 20-win season with a 23-13 mark Office Phone: ................................201-692-2149 during the 2011-12 season. Cell Phone: ...................................973-459-1289 Athletic Communications Fax: .....201-692-9361 Head Coach Chris Mack returns no starters and five Athletic Communications Address: letter winners from last year’s squad, including Travis 1000 River Road H-AT1-01 Taylor. Taylor played two years at Garden-State rival Teaneck, NJ 07666 and Northeast Conference foe, Monmouth Universi- Web Site: ......................................fduknights.com ty before transferring to Xavier and is no stranger to Twitter: .........................................FDUKnights the Knights. Taylor leads all returning players with 4.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per game last year. MEN’S BASKETBALL OFFICE Head Coach: .................................Greg Vetrone Alma Mater: .................................C.W. Post ‘86 Semaj Christon will make his debut with Xavier on Office Phone: ................................201-692-9626 Friday. The freshman was named to the preseason FDU Record: ................................19-71 Atlantic-10 All-Rookie team and recorded a team- Career Record: ..............................19-71 high 12 points and dished out five assists in the Associate Head Coach: .................Marcus Toney-El team’s only exhibition contest. In exhibition play, Alma Mater: .................................Seton Hall ‘04 the Mustakeers defeated Division II Kentucky State, Assistant Coaches: ........................Chris Brickley 74-53. ......................................................Damon Francis Xavier was selected to finish ninth in the Atlantic-10 PROGRAM INFORMATION preseason coaches’ poll. 2011-12 Record: ...........................3-26 2011-12 NEC Record: .................2-16 Starters Returning/Lost: ...............3/2 REVISIT THE 2011-12 SEASON: The Fairleigh Letterwinners Returning/Lost: ....6/5 Dickinson men’s basketball spent the year rebuilding Newcomers: ..................................5 and finished with an overall record of 3-26 and a Northeast Conference mark of 2-16. PROGRAM HISTORY First Year of Competition: ............1949-50 The team defeated the likes of Saint Peter’s, Bryant All-Time Record: .........................855-812 and St. Francis NY during the 2011-12 season. NCAA Appearances (last): ...........4 (2005) NIT Appearances (last): ...............2 (2006) They were one of a handful of college basketball teams to conclude their season on a winning note Look for freshman Xavier Harris (Philadelphia, PA/ when they defeated St. Francis NY, 45-44 in the last Constitution (The Peddie School)), a 6’6”, 230 lb. game of the season. wing, to make an impact in the frontcourt. Sekou Harris (Plainfield, N.J./Plainfield) and Sidney Sanders Junior Melquan Bolding led the team with 15.1 Jr. (Charleston, S.C./Burke (Polk State)) will make an points per game and a stellar performance against immediate impact as guards for the Knights. Longwood, where he produced 38 points. HEAD COACH, GREG VETRONE: Greg Ve- Junior Kinu Rochford was a strong contendor defen- trone became the sixth Head Coach of the Fairleigh sively with 6.8 rebounds per game and 26 blocks. Dickinson University men’s basketball program on March 9, 2010 after serving as the Interim Head George Goode was named the team’s MVP after Coach for the 2009-10 season. Prior to his stint as averaging 12.8 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per Interim Head Coach, he was an assistant coach for the game. Senior Briahn Smith was honored with the Knights in 2008-09. This will be his fourth season as Knight Award. the leader of the men’s basketball program. PRESEASON PROSPECTUS: Team chemistry In his first full season as head coach in 2010-11, Ve- will go a long way in determining Fairleigh Dick- trone’s squad finished with an overall record of 5-24 inson’s (3-26, 2-16 NEC) ultimate position within (3-15 NEC). the NEC this season. While fourth year head coach Greg Vetrone brings back three seniors, there are two As Interim Head Coach in 2009-10, Vetrone guided transfers who sat out last year along with four new- the Knights to a 10-8 record in Northeast Conference comers who must be incorporated into the mix for play, earning a fifth seed in the conference tournament the Knights. after the Knights were absent from the postseason the previous two seasons. FDU is rock-solid in the backcourt with returning seniors Melquan Bolding (Mt. Vernon, NY/Bishop “Greg is a great fit for this University,” said David Stepinac (Duquesne)) and Lonnie Robinson (Deer- Langford, Director of Athletics. “His strong recruit- field Beach, FL/Deerfield Beach (Western Texas)). ing skills, networking capabilities and fundraising Bolding can score from any spot on the floor and is strengths complement his coaching abilities very well. one of the league’s top improvisers with the ball. He led the Knights with 15.1 ppg and 38 3PFG last season, and should thrive this coming year when he moves back to his natural two-guard spot. Robinson ACROSS THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE: led the Knights in three-point shooting (.354) and contributed 6.9 ppg. LIU Brooklyn vs. Morehead State 5:45 p.m. Transfer guards Yves Jules (Brooklyn, NY/Canarsie) Mount St. Mary’s at Pittsburgh 6:00 p.m. (Hofstra) and Mustafaa Jones (Philadelphia, PA/ Monmouth vs. Hofstra 7:00 p.m. Neumann Goretti) (Hartford) will also compete for Saint Francis PA at Penn State 7:00 p.m. time. Robert Morris vs. Rider 7:00 p.m. Manning the paint will be 6’6” senior forward Kinu Bryant at Indiana 8:00 p.m.