Guard-laden Devils to open regular season
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Men's basketball
FREDONIA, N.Y. -- Fredonia State will look to build on a late-season run of success last winter as it embarks upon the 2008-09 regular season starting Saturday vs. Allegheny in the first round of the John K. Adams Tip-Off Classic at Rutgers-Newark.
The Blue Devils needed to win its last three SUNYAC games last February in order to qualify for the conference tournament - and did so. Wins over Buffalo State, Oswego, and Morrisville State resulted in a 6-10 conference record and a spot in the post-season tournament.
The Blue Devils finished 9-17 overall after their first-round ouster to Plattsburgh. The Cardinals eventually won the SUNYAC title.
Graduation claimed top rebounder Kyle Gordon, who posted averages of 8.8 and 6.2 rebounds per game, along with swingman Adam Smith. Gordon was among NCAA Division III's top 500 in two statistical categories -- rebounding average (369th) and blocked shots per game (1.1, 164th).
Head coach Kevin Moore, starting his ninth season at Fredonia State, returns the leading scorer and six other players from last year's team. Junior guard Brad Cooper (Monticello) averaged 14.4 points per game in 2007-08, which was 364th best in the nation among all NCAA Division III men. Cooper also converted 83.2 percent of his free throws (84 of 101), the 85th best mark in the division. He also made a team-high 37 three-pointers.
Cooper and fellow junior guard Kevin Saunders (Batavia) are the Blue Devil co-captains in 2008-09. Saunders averaged 5.1 points per game and dished out a team-high 63 assists. A left-handed shooter, Saunders grabbed 82 rebounds last season - most among all the returning players. That points to a potential weakness this season. The Blue Devils lack experienced height. Looking at it positively, Moore has depth at guard.
Wayne Davis (Binghamton), a senior guard, picked up his game toward the end of last season after spending the first of the season getting accustomed to new surroundings. He transferred to Fredonia State after two seasons at Broome Community College, and averaged 6.6 points per game in his first season with the Blue Devils. He also ranked 268th nationally with 1.6 steals per game.
Julius Bryant (Buffalo/Hutch), a sophomore, is listed as a 6' 4" guard. Junior swingmen Greg MacBride (Clifton Springs/Newark) and Scott Valenta (Binghamton) stand 6' 3" and 6' 4", respectively, and are usually up against taller opponents when they play inside. The other returning player, senior Bryan Morse (Beacon), is listed as the lone true center on the roster at 6' 5". Morse saw limited duty as a junior.
Among the newcomers, Moore is expected to use 6' 6" freshman forward Kyle Mitchell (Lazerne/Hadley Lazerne) at a post position. There will also be early-season minutes for 6' 2" freshman forward Bobby Daniels (Niagara Falls) and 6' 0" freshman swingman Leonard Smith (Brooklyn/Nazareth Regional).
The other freshmen are all guards: Amir Billups (Buffalo/Starpoint), Sean Donohue (Olean), Kurtis Driscoll (Angola/Lake Shore), Jonathan Herrera (Woodside/Flushing), Dior Jackson (Monticello), and Zack Scribani (Fairport).
As usual, Moore will have time to sort out his lineup before the SUNYAC season begins. After their New Jersey trip this weekend, the Blue Devils have four straight non-conference games before meeting New Paltz on the road Dec. 5. A road game the next day - Dec. 6 -- at Oneonta is the only other SUNYAC game during the first semester.
The Blue Devils' regular-season home opener is next Tuesday vs. Penn State Behrend at 8 p.m.
Other home opponents and dates:
Cobleskill (Nov. 22, 7 p.m.), Pitt-Bradford (Dec. 1, 7:30 p.m.), Plattsburgh (Jan. 9, 8 p.m.), Potsdam (Jan. 10, 4 p.m.), Oswego (Jan. 16, 8 p.m.), Morrisville State (Jan. 17, 4 p.m.), Brockport (Jan. 24, 8 p.m.), Buffalo State (Feb. 3, 8 p.m.), Houghton (Feb. 10, 7 p.m.), Geneseo (Feb. 20, 8 p.m.), and Cortland (Feb. 21, 4 p.m.).
The Cobleskill and Pitt-Bradford games are tentatively scheduled to be played in Dods Hall, all others in the Steele Hall Fieldhouse.