Garden City, N.Y. - The 2013-14 men's basketball squad will kick off the season on Wednesday evening against the Golden Lions of Dowling College at 7pm at the Center for Recreation and Sport. Last year, the Panthers rebounded from a sluggish start and surged in the middle of the season, winning an impressive seven of eight games to snag the #7 seed in the Northeast-10 Playoffs. While they were defeated in the first round, they still posted a 14-15 overall mark with an 11-11 record in conference play and extended their NE-10 playoff appearance streak, making it the fourth consecutive trip since joining the conference in 2009-10.
 
"I thought we started off slow last year because we had so many new key positions that guys were learning how to play," stated fourth year Head Coach, Dom Savino. "Once they understood what they had to do, they went on a great run but were crippled by serious injuries. Duane broke his hand and RJ suffered a concussion. Injuries hurt our depth and rotation but we still wound up in seventh which is a pretty good year. If we didn't have those injuries, I thought we would have done better."
 
Goals
Since Savino took over the reins of the program at the start of the 2010-11 season, the goals for the team have remained unchanged and this year is no different. "Our goals are always the same; make the playoffs, win the league and most of all, make the NCAA Tournament."
 
The Brown and Gold have won four Conference Tournament Championships dating back to 2002-03 when they were members of the East Coast Conference (formerly the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference). Their most recent one came in 2010-11 when they took home the NE-10 crown after being in the league for just two years.
 
Challenges
 
Savino is aware that the lack of collegiate experience and playing time together is working against them but is confident his men will be able to make the necessary adjustments and overcome these challenges.
 
"It's no secret that we have a lot of new faces and youth on this team," described Savino. "It will take the new guys some time to get acclimated and understand the way we do things here at Adelphi. However, once they grasp what we're about and how we work, it will show and we will get better as the season goes on."
 
Strength in Returners
Despite the lack of experience, the squad does return four players that are familiar with the game on the collegiate level as well as the competitive league. Juniors Duane Morgan and Edward Sullivan and sophomores Anthony Libroia and Ryan DeNicola all return to the floor and will be the glue that holds this group of men together.

Morgan played in 20 games while starting in 13 of them before being sidelined for the rest of the year due to a broken hand. He scored in double digits on four occasions and posted a career high 15 points against AIC. Fellow big man DeNicola makes his return for his sophomore year after seeing time in all 29 games as a freshman.
 
"These two guys have a lot of game experience. They both worked extremely hard in the off-season have improved tremendously. With the two of them at the post, we should have a solid presence inside the paint."
 
Librioa made a big impact last year and started in 24 games while seeing time in all 29. The Holy Cross product showed he was capable of controlling the ball as well as scoring; he logged more minutes on the court than any of his teammates and drained a team leading 49 three-pointers while averaging 8.8 ppg. Sullivan saw action in 27 games and has good vision on the court as shown by his 23 assists in less than 400 minutes of court time.
 
"Both of them have grown and continue to get better every day. Eddie is probably the most improved guy on the team and has worked a ton on his shooting over the summer. Anthony's leadership at the point guard position is invaluable. He understands the length of the season and what it takes to be an elite point guard in this competitive league."
 
Transfers
The Panthers welcome sophomores Matthew Citron and Jeremy Schulkin and junior Boris Fodouop. Citron is a Division I transfer from Presbyterian College and is described by Savino as having "unbelievable energy" and is "relentless going to the boards with his all-out hustle."
 
Schulkin makes his way to Garden City after spending a year at Towson University. "Jeremy can really stroke the ball and will fit in perfectly as an NE-10 shooter." Meanwhile, Fodouop, the MassBay Community College transfer is a "tenacious rebounder and can really finish inside."
 
"I think the transfers will help us in many ways," stated Savino. "They know what it takes to and the focus that's required to make it throughout the entire college season. The knowledge they bring from their previous schools should help the freshman become prepared for the season ahead."
 
Freshmen
The six freshmen that join the Panther squad are Damon Coleman, Kyle McLeggan, Greg Davis, Ethan Hamlet, Daniel Janel and John Ferguson.
 
"I'm really excited about Damon," describes Savino of his rookie. "He's quick and was the Player of the Year during his senior season. I expect him to play a big role this year." McLeggon is a two-time All-County performer out of Hudson Catholic and is a "tough minded defender that has the ability to score as well."
 
Davis (South Kent Prep), Janel (Cardozo), Hamlet (All Hallows) and Ferguson (Goshen) are all very hard workers and will be vying for playing time on the court.
 
Playing in the Northeast-10
"The NE-10 is one of the best leagues in the entire country," stated Savino. "Every game tests our ability to the max and there are no easy games. The league is filled with great coaches and players which means there are going to be great competitions. You have to play to the very last game because most of the time it comes down to that last contest to finalize playoff spots. It's truly a testament to how competitive the league really is."
 
Final Thoughts
"I'm excited about getting started," exclaimed Savino. "The coaching staff and I are all really looking forward to starting the season and watching this team develop into a team which I think will be an outstanding group of men."
 
The Panthers kick off the season on Wednesday, November 13 when they host the Golden Lions of Dowling College in a non-conference matchup at 7pm at the Center for Recreation and Sports. If you can't be there, you can follow the live stats, watch a live webcast or follow @AUPanthers on twitter for real-time updates.