Though the season doesn’t officially tip off until mid-November, the Seawolves Men’s basketball team has its eyes set on building on last year’s breakout season. Not only was the 4th place conference finish the highest in school history, but the Seawolves also totaled 16 wins — the most since joining the Division I ranks. Head Coach Steve Pikiell received America East Conference Coach of the Year Honors.
Now, the Seawolves are in preseason workouts and practices, looking forward to the months ahead. ‘Coming off our best Division I season ever,’ said Coach Pikiell, ‘I couldn’t be more excited about the direction of our program.’
One step in that direction is bringing in the 2009-2010 recruiting class. The Seawolves added three guards and a forward in the mix. Preye Preboye (Springfield, MA), Lenny Hayes (Voorhees, NJ), and Marcus Rouse (Upper Malboro, MD) will be in the backcourt, and Eric McAlister (Cranbury, NJ) will try to do some work in the post.
‘Their size, athleticism, and versatility will be great assets to our team next year, and in the future,’ added Coach Pikiell.
That will be essential in filling the void left by last year’s graduating class. Marques Cox, a stellar defender that was named to the conference’s all defensive team, will be missed in the backcourt, along with sharp shooter Michael Tyree. Down low, the Seawolves will no longer have the combination of forward Demetrius Young and center Desmond Adedeji, to rack up on rebounds and score in traffic.
But with four of last year’s five starters coming back, the Seawolves will look to take the next step and become recognized as conference powerhouses. America East Play kicks off in early January.
‘I believe that the strong nucleus we have returning, along with these talented newcomers, has set our program up for sustained success,’ said Coach Pikiell.
