BRISTOL, R.I. – The Roger Williams University Men's Basketball team is ready for the season to get started as they continue on with their current pre-season practices. The team lost four valuable players to graduation, but has the building blocks for a successful 2009-10 campaign with a strong mix of freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. The team has no seniors this year, making it possible for them to develop strong chemistry within the team that will be there for the next two years.
This season Gordon College is ranked first in the TCCC in the pre-season polls. The Hawks are ranked fifth in the 14 team conference and hope to climb up the ladder as the season progresses.
The Hawks boast an experienced junior class, led by Corey Fava (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) who averaged over 30 minutes per game the past two seasons. Fava started 23 of the Hawks 26 games last year, to add to his 23 starts from his freshman year. Last season Fava recorded 26 steals which was good for second on the team, and was first in free-throw percentage. Classmate Taylor Petruccelli (Stratford, Conn.) returns for his second season after he transferred from Vassar College following his freshman year. Petruccelli started 19 games and played in all 26, scoring 138 points and grabbing 94 rebounds, 34 of which were offensive. He is joined by classmate Travis O'Dell (Brunswick, Maine) who made 17 starts over the course of the season last year. Last season O'Dell had 131 points averaging 5.0 per game, 81 rebounds and 19 steals. A third member of the junior class with experience is Kyle Bogucki (Clinton, Conn.) who made five starts and appeared in 20 games last season. He was second on the team in rebounds and blocked shots with 107 and 15 respectively. Teammates Shane Lavoie (Hopkinton, Mass.) and Tom Rafael (Ladera Ranch, Calif.) also enter into their junior seasons with 2 years under their belts.
Three members of the team make up the sophomore class. Entering his second year is Pat Flanagan (Somerville, Mass.) who became the first freshman since 2005 to earn All-TCCC Honorable Mention recognition. He started 6 of the 25 games he played in and averaged 10.8 points per game. Flanagan led the team in rebounding (4.5 per game) and blocked shots (1.8 per game), as well as successful foul shot opportunities with 50. Classmate Joe Kane (Glenmont, N.Y.) adds some experience as well, after playing in eight games and scoring 23 points last season. Also representing the sophomore class is Gary Madison (Waterbury, Conn.) who played in five games a season ago.
There are seven newcomers to the team ready to start their collegiate careers as freshmen. The class consists of Casey Calabro (Carmel, N.Y.), Mike Engemann (Red Bank, N.J.), Matt Grossbard (Pearl River, N.Y.), Mike Igoe (Lexington, Mass.), Justin Hook (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) and James LeCardi (Fair Haven, N.J.).
Head Coach Michael Tully enters into the season as the all-time wins leader after passing Thomas Sienkiewicz in January of last season. He is in his ninth season of coaching and has recorded at least 12 wins in seven out of his eight seasons as head coach, and received TCCC Coach of the Year honors in 2007-08. In addition to his coaching duties he is also the Assistant Athletics Director for Academic Services. He is joined by Associate Head Coach Matt Chittim who has been with the team since the fall of 2003, and is currently employed in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Also a member of the coaching staff is Chuck Davidson. A student assistant since 2007 and team manager from 2005-2007, Davidson is now a full time assistant coach after graduating in May. Managers for the team are George Schork, EJ Bradley, and John Camarero.
Some would say the Hawks lack experience and leadership on the team due to the absence of seniors. Coach Tully disagrees, saying, “We have a young team but it is made up of a strong, talented core of sophomores and juniors that will help lead the team to a very exciting season. There are a lot of young faces from the freshmen class who we hope will be able to contribute in various aspects of the game, and have high hopes of making it to the TCCC Championship game.”
The Hawks look to get things started on November 15th when they will travel to Providence, R.I. for a game against Johnson & Wales at 1:00 p.m. The following weekend is the RWU/Courtyard by Marriot tournament where the team will be hosting Lesley University, Trinity College, and Fisher College for a two-day event on November 20th and 21st.
