Garden City, N.Y. - The Adelphi University men's basketball team will kick off the season on Wednesday, November 16, when they travel to New Haven, Connecticut to take on the Owls of Southern Connecticut State University, diving right into conference play. The 2011-12 Panther squad will look to better their 20-11 record from a year ago which included a Northeast-10 Championship title and the program's 17th trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Head Coach Dom Savino, in just his second season as head coach has already made a big impact on the conference in his debut a year ago. In 2010-11, the Panthers recorded their fourth straight 20 win season by jumping out to a strong start, winning four of their first five games and then turning up the heat after the winter break by winning nine of their final 13 games.

Earning a #7 seed in the NE-10 playoffs, they took down #10 Southern Connecticut at home and then upset the second seeded Yellow Jackets of American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts. In the quarterfinals, they made quick work of #6 UMass Lowell to advance to the Championship game, making their second appearance in the finals in as many years. There, they stunned onlookers as they bounced #1 Bentley for the title.

Savino and his squad will not settle for mediocrity or anything short of a “successful” season. “Our goal is to repeat the year we had last season,” the second year coach describes. “We want to advance to the conference tournament, defend our title, and make it deeper into the NCAA Tournament than we did last year. I believe with the guys we have, our goals are attainable.”

Defensive prowess has always been the backbone of the Panther hoopsters and a key aspect of their success. “We need to share the ball, be tough on the boards, and most of all, our defense must be sharp,” Savino says of his team. “In addition to that, we must win on the road as well as make sure we take care of business at home. If we do this, we will be successful.”

The Panthers return an extremely mature squad, predominantly comprised of upperclassmen, which will be huge in big time games and “down to the wire” scenarios. Last year, eight games were decided by four points or less and having guys that are familiar with intense, quick decision making situations should put the team in a good position to have an advantage when the game is on the line.

“Our experience at the NCAA Tournament really made the guys understand what it's going to take to push past the first round,” Savino said. Last year, Adelphi dropped in the first game to Stonehill, 73-64. “This year, we have a lot of experience; our returners are familiar with our system, our new guys coming in already have collegiate playing time under their belt, and the newcomers are coming along very quickly.”

Having exhausted their collegiate eligibility, the Panthers will have to cope with the loss of All-Time leading scorer, Richard Byrd, and fellow All-Conference player, David Akinyooye. The duo accumulated numerous honors for their performances on the court and combined for 839 points, which accounted for over a third of the offensive attack last year.

“Filling the void Richie and David left will be an extremely difficult task, no doubt about it,” Savino describes of his graduates. “They were leaders and big time players. Their leadership, presence on the court and contributions to the team will be greatly missed. But it's also going to allow the other guys to be able to step up and show what they can do.”

Among the 15 individuals that make up the squad, Savino will look toward his three senior captains to take the reins of the team and drive them toward another successful year. Richard Harkins, Robert Johnson and Norron McDonald have shown they have the skill set and leadership qualities that their teammates can look up to and rely on.

“Richie is an elite point guard who is capable of taking care of the ball and running the show. Rob came up huge for us in post season play knocking down big shots and Norron is game a changer; he stops big guys from scoring and his presence on the court is always positive momentum swing for the Panthers,” Savino says of his tri-captains.

Back Court

The Panthers make up for their lack of size with speed, perimeter shooters, quickness and excellent court vision. The squad boasts a slew of guards in their arsenal that can hurt opponents from all around the court. The capable trio of Harkins, Johnson and Chris Ranglin will be in command as the main point guards, controlling the ball and running plays. The three combined for 28.4 points per game and 127 steals last year, proving that they are an effective unit on both ends of the court.

“Those three guys work well together, have a great feel for the game, and see all of the court,” said Savino of his tri-captains. “Their ability to find the open man, shoot and cause turnovers for us will help keep this team playing at a high level.”

With returners John Calarco, Ky'ron Fitzgerald and RJ Samuels all having another year of experience under their belt and another season in the Adelphi basketball system, any of them can step on the court at a given time and get the job done.

The stable grows with transfers Cliff Brown and Kenny Ross. The two new additions bring two years of collegiate basketball experience on different levels. Making the transition to Adelphi should be a smooth one and will see a positive, immediate impact on the team. Brown joins the Panthers from Herkimer Community College while Ross brings experience from the NCAA Division I Tournament participant West Virginia.

Freshman Edward Sullivan hails from Xavier while Chris Garcia comes from Archbishop Molloy where he played under famed coach Jack Curran. Both will compete for playing time as they adapt to the collegiate style of play.

“We're a small team, so all of our guards play a vital role in our game plan,” says Savino of his position players. “The new guys bring a mix of experience, skill, and knowledge to the squad; all characteristics that will influence this team in a positive manner.”

Front Court

The Brown and Gold sport five big men that will provide the power down low but will rely heavily on veterans Norron McDonald and Bradley Simpson. The duo made their presence felt inside last year by posting a combined 19 blocks and pulling down 155 boards. Additionally, they're an offensive threat with both big men shooting over .500 from the field and boasting a shooting percentage of over .700 from the charity stripe.

Savino says of his big men, “Norron is healthy after coming back from injury and will be a force down low. The games he missed last year will hopefully have a better outcome with him on the court this year. Brad has improved on virtually all aspects of his game and has got visibly stronger and has a lot more confidence. He should perform well this year which will help us to yet another 20 win season.”

The support cast of returner Gerard Fraser, transfer Travis Jordan and freshman Duane Morgan will play a vital role in the Panther's front court. At 6-7, Fraser was limited in action during the 2010-11 campaign but is a capable center that can step off the bench at any time and fill in down low. Jordan has two years of collegiate experience, coming from State Fair Community College while Duane Morgan comes from West Orange High School.

“With Gerard as a backup, combined with the addition of Travis and Duane, we will be very athletic down low. I have high expectations of our guys and expect them to crash the boards and make it difficult for opponents to get points in the paint. Being successful down low will translate to a successful season.”

Schedule

The Panthers' schedule is anything but a walk in the park. Their aggressive schedule allows them to dive right into conference play against Southern Connecticut State in the season opener. A big test will be right before they break for the winter intersession when they face C.W. Post and Bloomfield on December 13 and 17 respectively. “Bloomfield made it to the Elite Eight last year while C.W. Post went to the tournament as well. Both teams should be strong again this season and it will be a great opportunity to see how we match up with out of conference powerhouses.”

Once they start up again in January, their remaining 15 game are all against conference opponents. It will be a true test of the Panthers' toughness as they will face each of the top-five (Preseason Coaches Poll) ranked schools over the span of the month of January with last year's NE-10 Championship rematch against Bentley on the 17^th.

“We certainly have a difficult schedule,” Savino describes. “By playing good teams, it will make us stronger. Our team attitude has been tremendous, the guys are blending well, the team chemistry has been good, and we can't wait to get going.”