BROCKPORT, N.Y. – The College at Brockport men's basketball team hopes to carry over momentum from last season into their 2015-2016 campaign.
The 2014-2015 season saw the Golden Eagles finish with a 15-12 overall record and an 11-7 conference mark. The team, which finished fourth in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) standings, saw their season come to an end in the semi-finals of the SUNYAC Conference Tournament to the regular-season champions, SUNY Plattsburgh.
This year's season promises improved returners and a wealth of fresh faces joining the Brockport lineup. Leading the charge of returners will be SUNYAC All-Conference selections
Patrick Modzelewski and
Clifton Lyerly. Modzelewski led the Golden Eagles in scoring a season ago, with a 14.0 points per game average on a 41.8 shooting percentage. Lyerly chipped in 11.8 points per game last season, with a 42.3 shooting percentage from the field.
"They're two guys that can really put the ball in the basket in different ways," said head coach
Greg Dunne of Modzelewski and Lyerly. "Having those two guys on the floor really keeps us balanced and makes teams choose how they want to guard us."
The Golden Eagles will also look to
Hamed Shamseldin to be a key contributor this season. Shamseldin played in 26 contests as a freshman, averaging 6.4 points a game.
"Hamed ended the 2014-2015 year on a high note," noted associate head coach
Joe Clarke. "His confidence grew each day and with the work he put in over the summer, we expect to see him have a significant impact with us this year."
Another Golden Eagle returning to the lineup is
Olusola Adeniran. The senior has been plagued with injury, and hopes this season will be a breakout year.
"Olusola is a kid that hasn't made one excuse. His work ethic is unparralled," commented Clarke. "Despite two knee surgeries, he looks faster, strong, and more explosive than ever."
Matthew Smith is another Brockport veteran who returns to the court for Coach Dunne who will be expected to play a bigger role in 2015-2016. Smith averaged 2.7 assists per game a year ago and shot 50 percent from the field.
"Matt does a little bit of everything," Clarke added. "He takes care of the ball, makes the right decisions, defends, and can knock down a big shot if he needs to."
With a solid core of returners back for the Golden Eagles, there is still room for new faces to leave their mark on this squad. Four transfers join the ranks this year, in
Elijah Newsome,
Marcus Blythers,
Hamed Guitti, and
Ryan McCarthy.
"I think all of our transfers have an opportunity to play right away and give us some minutes," said Dunne of his newcomers. "Eli Newsome and
Ryan McCarthy are two guys that can really, really shoot the ball."
This season promises to be as tough a league race as ever, with conference foe SUNY Oswego receiving votes for the D3hoops.com top 25, landing at No. 35. The reining SUNYAC Conference Tournament Champions loom as the heavy favorite in the league this season.
"Our league has been super competitive in the top spots," said Dunne. "And we think that our league is one of the top leagues in the country."
The strength of a conference schedule is a welcomed challenge for Coach Dunne and his squad, and something that is not unfamiliar for the Golden Eagles.
"We have had the kind of success where we think that we can compete for a SUNYAC Championship every single year," said Dunne. "Even last year when we had literally almost an entirely new team. We still finished in the top four, still made it to the semi finals. Competing for a SUNYAC championship is what we are looking to do."
Brockport will begin that journey on Nov. 18 when they open the season at St. Lawrence. The Golden Eagle schedule is front-loaded with road games, with the first home contest not until Jan. 5 when they open conference play against Buffalo State in Jim and John Vlogianitis Gym at 7:30 p.m.
Be sure to stay up to date on your Golden Eagle scores and awards by following @BportAthletics on Twitter and by liking the "Brockport Golden Eagles" Facebook page.
