A closer look at the men's D-III locals
SUNY-OLD WESTBURY
PANTHERS
Old Westbury won the regular-season conference title but lost in the Skyline Tournament final last season. The Panthers go forward without leading scorer Hakiem George and point guard Shane DeNully.
They do feature a formidable frontcourt with senior center Lester Prosper (13 points, 8.6 rebounds) and forwards Frantz Granjean and Chris Robinson, an athletic 6-7 shot blocker.
They're also solid at shooting guard with Jason Kondra. Though the point guard spot is "up in the air," coach Bernard Tomlin said, he's high on transfer and former Malverne High School star Craig Wilson.
ST. JOSEPH'S
GOLDEN EAGLES
St. Joseph's, second in the Skyline last season, made a fifth straight postseason appearance and should again be strong. The Golden Eagles return eight players, including senior captains Trey Black and Chris Jimenez. Jimenez was second-team all-conference. Olivier Laurent and Vincent Russo headline a solid junior class.
Incoming players include transfer Barry Ingram, a former All-Long Island point guard at Bay Shore High School. Shahab Syed, a 6-6 center who took a semester off for pre-med, will be eligible in the second half.
FARMINGDALE STATE
RAMS
In what was a rebuilding year, Farmingdale State was 13-13 and reached the Skyline quarterfinals last season. The Rams return guard Shahee Martin, who led the team in scoring (16.7 points) and rebounding (7.0), as well as Alvin Dennis and 6-7 Nikita Davis.
The Rams have added size with newcomers Devon Henry (6-9) and Jermaine Abraham (6-7).
USMMA
MARINERS
USMMA won its first Landmark Conference title last season, posted a 24-5 record and reached the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.
The Mariners, who are ranked second in the conference preseason poll, have a new coach in Danny Nee, but the team returns all-conference senior forwards Matt Hueber (8.9 rebounds) and Tom Izzo (10.3 points, 1.8 steals). Also returning is starting forward Richard Roach.
NASSAU CC
LIONS
Nassau CC comes off a 21-9 season in which it reached the Region XV semifinals, and will add 6-4 swingman Andre Scott. Scott, a talented three-point shooter, played as a freshman but sat out last year to concentrate on academics. The Lions also have former Baldwin High School star Chris Mauldin, who transferred from Division II Bloomfield.
LONGHORNS
Brentwood, which got bumped in the first round of the Region XV Tournament by Nassau, has two returning players in Keith Anderson and A.J. Gallina. Anderson, a slashing 6-2 guard, averaged 14 points and was second in the region with 12.2 rebounds.
SUFFOLK CC-SELDEN
CLIPPERS
The Clippers, who lost in the first round of the conference tournament, have a roster comprised mostly of freshmen - all local products. Among them are Nasha Smith (Copiague), Brandon Sillaro (Patchogue-Medford) and Jeren Hall (Newfield).
