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St. John's 10 seniors had a pretty good idea of what they were getting when the school hired <a href="/topics/ESPN">ESPN</a> basketball analyst <a href="/topics/Steve_Lavin">Steve Lavin</a> to replace Norm <a href="/topics/Norm_Roberts">Roberts</a> as coach last spring. They knew his background at <a href="/topics/University_of_California%2C_Los_Angeles">UCLA</a> and how his coaching chops were questioned, and they were familiar with his smooth persona on TV and his trademark slicked-back hairstyle.
The seniors were loyal to Roberts and couldn't help but feel abandoned when he was fired after failing to reach the <a href="/topics/National_Collegiate_Athletic_Association">NCAA</a> Tournament in six seasons. They looked at Lavin, as forward Justin Burrell said, and assumed he would fit their pre-conceived notions.
"But when he came in, he wasn't that at all," Burrell said. "We thought he would be a smooth talker and tell us anything we wanted to hear. But he was genuine, and we really appreciated it. He talked to us for a long time individually and collectively.
"He made us feel cool and knocked out some of those notions. I wouldn't be afraid if we had to get in the trenches. I think he would get in there with us."
 
Lavin: The Recruiter
Sooner or later in New York, every coach winds up in the trenches. During the past generation since its only Final Four appearance in 1985 under the sainted <a href="/topics/Lou_Carnesecca">Lou Carnesecca</a>, St. John's basketball has endured a gradual slide from prominence.
Lavin's high-profile hiring was the first blip on the radar that piqued media and fan interest, and subsequent news of Lavin's instant recruiting success has stirred a noticeable buzz. With only one scholarship to give this season, he went directly to his <a href="/topics/California">California</a> roots and came back with that state's player of the year, forward Dwayne Polee of <a href="/topics/Los_Angeles">Los Angeles</a>.
"That's big," Lavin said. "Our strategy from the very beginning was to recruit nationally. We want to protect our backyard, get our share of the best players in New York and New Jersey, but not be overly reliant on this region so it doesn't cost us our job during a down cycle in talent. 
"Getting the best player out of California was empirical evidence the St. John's brand is strong coast to coast. This [incoming] 2011 class, which we can't talk about, is kind of furthering that argument."
NCAA rules prohibit a school from publicizing verbal commitments, so Lavin can't discuss recruits until they sign with the Red Storm during the one-week early signing period beginning Wednesday. But six top players have committed verbally, including wing men Maurice Harkless of Queens, Jakarr Sampson from <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">LeBron James</a>' high school in Akron and Dwayne Pointer from <a href="/topics/Michigan">Michigan</a>, pure shooting guard Angelo Harrison from <a href="/topics/Texas">Texas</a> and point guard Nurideen Lindsey of <a href="/topics/Philadelphia">Philadelphia</a>, who is playing junior college ball in <a href="/topics/Oklahoma">Oklahoma</a>. The sixth is point guard Jevon Thomas of the Bronx, who is part of the incoming class in 2012 and can't sign for another year.
Two other big-time recruits from California who visited St. John's this past weekend and have shown strong interest are 6-11 Norvel Pelle, who is the No. 2-rated center and as high as No. 11 overall in the country, and 6-7 small forward Amir Garrett. 
However it plays out, Lavin apparently has opened the talent spigot for St. John's in barely more than seven months on the job.
 
Pitching St. John's
Lavin credits the relationships he built as an assistant at Purdue and then his time at UCLA and the seven seasons traveling the country for ESPN. "At the end of the day, you have to create a persuasive argument for coming to St. John's,'' Lavin said. "We put the spotlight on the tradition and the chance to be a part of restoring St. John's to its rightful place as the crown jewel of basketball in New York."
Like everyone before him, Lavin emphasized the chance to play at Madison Square Garden, but a bigger attraction might be a coaching staff that includes two former <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> assistants in Mike Dunlap and Rico <a href="/topics/Hines">Hines</a> plus Hall of Famer Gene <a href="/topics/Gene_Keady">Keady</a>, the former Purdue coaching great who also worked in the NBA with <a href="/topics/Toronto">Toronto</a>.
"What better place to come work on your game than having a team of experts that will help you reach that goal to ultimately play at the highest level someday and win a lot of games along the way?" Lavin asked.
 
His UCLA days
What's most impressive about Lavin's fast start is that his network of friends and associates delivered for him. It says something about how he is regarded, and it reflects the thought that went into crafting his second act during his "sabbatical" at ESPN.
When Jim Harrick's firing at UCLA in 1996 suddenly elevated him to head coach at 32, Lavin was viewed by his critics as being out of his depth, but he was swimming so fast that he didn't notice. "At the time, you don't feel that way," said Lavin, who went 145-77 during his seven-year run with the Bruins. "In retrospect, with the vantage point of being 46 years old, I can appreciate it."
Well, "appreciate" might not be the best word. But Lavin certainly has a greater understanding of the complexity of the world he inhabited at UCLA, and a better sense of the priorities that really matter. 
The knock when he took that job was that he didn't have enough experience as a recruiter. After he recruited one of the top classes in the nation first time out, it shifted to his coaching credentials. Citing his ties to West Coast coaching legends <a href="/topics/Pete_Newell">Pete Newell</a> and Phil Woolpert and his relationships with Purdue's Keady and the late <a href="/topics/John_Wooden">John Wooden</a> at UCLA, Lavin said it would have been tough not to learn something.
"Naturally, when you're at UCLA at 32 years old, you're going to be scrutinized, criticized, analyzed and dissected like a frog in a biology class,'' Lavin said. "And you know that coming in. You don't work at UCLA thinking you're going to get adulation as a coach because there's only one John Wooden. It's a unique situation. That's the rules of engagement. You're grateful for it, and being there 12 years, I learned a great deal."
 
Great support team
When it was time to go back to the bench, Lavin's choice of St. John's, in its way, was ingenious. Think about it. New York is the biggest fishbowl there is, but it's also a place starving for success, a place where Lavin's media savvy and celebrity could be maximized.
Armed with the blueprint he developed while at ESPN, Lavin began by assembling a coaching staff that covers all the bases. Dunlap is a proven basketball tactician; Hines was in player development with Golden State and has California recruiting ties; Tony Chiles is a New Yorker with East Coast recruiting ties while at Drexel in Philadelphia, and former Rice High coach Moe Hicks is well-versed in all the ins and outs of the local high school and AAU scene.
But Lavin's first call was to Keady, who is 74 and had been retired four years since leaving his NBA post. "I was enjoying my retirement," Keady said, "but <a href="/topics/Steve_Lavin">Steve</a> is like a son. It's just one of those things where you like somebody's charisma, their knowledge of the game, the way they treat people and their honesty. We have fun together, so it's enjoyable to work with him."
At first blush, it might seem unusual for a younger coach with Lavin's profile to feel it important to bring in his coaching mentor as a kind of security blanket. But Keady said, "His ego is not like a lot of coaches. I think that's one of the reasons I respect him so much."
Lavin compared the relationship to those between Lakers coach <a href="/topics/Phil_Jackson">Phil Jackson</a> and Tex Winters and between former Heat coach <a href="/topics/Pat_Riley">Pat Riley</a> and Dick Harter.
"He's a critical piece," Lavin said. "He's so inspiring to be around. You're never going to get too far away from the blocking and tackling, the basics that go into a winning brand of basketball if you've got <a href="/topics/Gene_Keady">Gene Keady</a> in the house. He's like a basketball conscience."
 
Ready for his revival
St. John's players have been impressed with Lavin's staff. Burrell said the coaches have taken analysis of their games to a different level.
"Our coaching staff is particular about every single detail from the way we tie our shoes to the way we tuck in our jerseys," Burrell said. "They give you percentages of how often you do a certain move, and you wouldn't even know it."
Attention to detail extends to the seating arrangement on the bench, where Lavin plans to have assistants sitting between players so no teachable moment is missed. But Lavin will have Keady in his left ear and Hines in his right ear.
"Rico is my very first recruit, and coach Keady was my first boss," Lavin said. "So they bridge my entire time in basketball. When I sat down at that first scrimmage, there was a great comfort level, buckling up for this journey and putting your armor on to get ready for this second tour of duty at St. John's."

SPLAVIN07

Lavin seems destined to bring new era to St. John's

spSTJOHNS

<a href="/topics/Charles_Robert_Jenkins">Charles Jenkins</a> walked into Mo Cassara's office at Hofstra last week as if he were walking into his own dorm room. He didn't bother to knock. Nor did he ask for permission before flopping down behind Cassara's desk and logging onto the basketball coach's computer.
"This is the kind of relationship we have," Cassara said with a shrug. "We're that close."
Cassara, Hofstra's first-year coach, and Jenkins, the Pride's star guard, are so close that they are often in the same room. And when they're not, they're usually on the same page; the two communicate almost hourly through various forms of social media.
The relationship is surprisingly tight considering the chaos that brought it into being.
"We went through a lot and we both discovered pretty quickly that we needed each other," Jenkins said. "We both need a big year, and we both have something to prove."
Cassara, 37, needs to prove that he can coach on the Division I level, that he belongs in a job that fell into his lap because of the misfortunes of two of his mentors.
A year ago, Cassara was an assistant at <a href="/topics/Boston_College">Boston College</a> under Al <a href="/topics/Al_Skinner">Skinner</a>. When Skinner was fired last spring, Cassara landed at Hofstra under the newly hired Tim <a href="/topics/Tim_Welsh">Welsh</a>, who replaced <a href="/topics/Tom_Pecora">Tom Pecora</a>. Then, shortly after Welsh resigned May 3 after a DWI arrest, Cassara, who had never been a head coach at a Division I school, was tabbed to take over the program.
The whole situation could have been a serious blow to Jenkins, who was last season's <a href="/topics/Colonial_Athletic_Association">Colonial Athletic Association</a> player of the year. Jenkins is looking to have a big-time senior year, the kind that proves to <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> scouts that he has what it takes to flourish as a pro despite being slightly undersized for an NBA shooting guard and coming from a smaller school.
The 6-3 Jenkins averaged 20.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists last season. He could have tried to leave for the NBA or transferred to another school, like teammates Halil Kanacevic and Chaz Williams. But Jenkins said there was something about the way Cassara and the coaching staff handled the situation after the DWI arrest that made him want to stick around.
"There was a week that he didn't know if he was going to be here anymore, but he was there every day with the rest of the coaching staff, talking to us and keeping us in the gym," Jenkins said. "I mean, these guys' jobs were up for grabs, but they were in there talking to us and working with us and trying to tell us that everything was going to be OK. To me, that said a lot."
It also said a lot to the coaching community that Cassara was able to keep a big-time player in Jenkins from leaving. Cassara's biggest previous head-coaching job was a two-year stint at Division III Clark University in Worcester, Mass. But he does have some friends in high places. Among his mentors, Cassara counts Skinner, <a href="/topics/Dallas_Mavericks">Dallas Mavericks</a> coach <a href="/topics/Rick_Carlisle">Rick Carlisle</a>, whom he knows from having gone to the same <a href="/topics/Massachusetts">Massachusetts</a> prep school, and <a href="/topics/Dayton">Dayton</a> coach Brian Gregory, with whom he worked when he was a Dayton assistant for a season.
Cassara said his team will play a hybrid system, drawing on what he used from those mentors plus picking up some of the <a href="/topics/Syracuse">Syracuse</a> zone that two of his coaches with Syracuse connections, Wayne Morgan and Allen Griffin, know well.
The bottom line is that the team's fortunes largely will be riding on the play of Jenkins. He says that in a way, he likes the pressure of having to have a big senior season, both individually and for the team, which was projected to finish fifth in a preseason CAA coaches' poll.
Said Jenkins: "As a team, we have all the excuses in the world not to be successful. We can say we don't have coach Welsh. We can say we don't have coach <a href="/topics/Tom_Pecora">Pecora</a>. But I like what we do have. This is my last year here, and I want to make it something special."

SPBKHOF07

Hofstra's Cassara, Jenkins relying on each other

Hofstra coach Mo Cassara with senior guard Charles Jenkins

COACH: Mo Cassara THE&nbsp;PRIDE&nbsp;LAST&nbsp;SEASON: 19-15 (10-8 in <a href="/topics/Colonial_Athletic_Association">Colonial Athletic Association</a>) PLAYERS&nbsp;TO&nbsp;WATCH Charles <a href="/topics/Charles_Robert_Jenkins">Jenkins</a> The CAA’s player of the year last season is the focal point of the offense. A possible first-round <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> draft prospect, Jenkins was one of five players in Division I to average at least 20 points, four rebounds and three assists per game last season. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard enters the season with 1,767 points, putting him on pace to break the school's all-time scoring record of 2,276 points set by former teammate Antoine Agudio. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Greg Washington Washington, a 6-foot-10 forward from Central Islip High School, is the team’s other returning full-time starter. Washington, who already owns the school record for blocked shots in a season and a career, averaged 2.8 blocks last season. Also David Imes, who was a reserve last year, junior college transfer Dwan McMillan and Fordham transfer <a href="/topics/Mike_Moore">Mike Moore</a>.

SKBKHOFRAIL07

Hofstra men at a glance

Hofstra's Greg Washington

The results of the first Harris poll? This is no ordinary college freshman. 
Tobias Harris, a Newsday All-<a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a> basketball selection and player of the year in his senior season at Half Hollow Hills West, glittered in his college debut at the <a href="/topics/University_of_Tennessee">University of Tennessee</a> on Wednesday night. 
Before a rabid crowd of 17,878 at Thompson-Boling Arena, Harris showed why he was a <a href="/topics/McDonald%27s">McDonald's</a> All-American and why he is a starter at small forward in the rugged SEC. 
Playing only 23 minutes, Harris shot 6-for-8 and scored 16 points with five rebounds as the Volunteers crushed Division II Brevard College, 91-42, in an exhibition game. 
"It was really exciting just to be out there. A great atmosphere for an exhibition game," Harris said in a phone interview Thursday. "I played well. The work is paying off." 
Of his transition to life at a big-time college, Harris said, "Being away from my family is tough, but you make the best of everything. There's a pretty rigorous schedule every day. There's not much free time, so you have to rest your body. You're just trying to find out about yourself and about life in general. The basketball is a lot harder than in high school. You've got to fight for your spot every day." 
Harris impressed <a href="/topics/Tennessee">Tennessee</a> coach Bruce <a href="/topics/Bruce_Pearl">Pearl</a> right away and said he wasn't surprised to learn he was starting the opener. 
"It's been going well in practice. Coach Pearl is intense, but that's college basketball at this level," Harris said. "I haven't changed my game, but everything is getting better. I'm really working on my defense. You can't play for him without going hard on defense." 
Asked about Harris' debut, Pearl told reporters, "Tobias was Tobias. He's just solid. Finishes around the basket. Moves well for a big guy. Had a couple unforced turnovers. I thought Tobias was fairly representative of what we've been seeing. Probably can play a little better."

SPBKTOBIAS07

Harris impresses in debut for Vols

li scorers - Tobias Harris

Here's the striving-to-be-top-shelf imagery for Stony Brook men's basketball:
When Steve Pikiell arrived as coach six years ago, envisioning a unlikely leap to an <a href="/topics/National_Collegiate_Athletic_Association">NCAA</a> Tournament berth for a school not far removed from Division III competition, he installed three small shelves in his office, one slightly higher than the other. On the lowest, he would place a basketball commemorating his first victory as coach. (Done Jan 2, 2006, in his 10th game.) On the second, a basketball marking Stony Brook's first league title in Division I. (Realized last spring.)
"And now we've got to get that NCAA ball," he said last week. "Every time the guys come in here and tell me how hard they're working, I just point to that [last empty] shelf and say, 'If you're working that hard, we'd have that ball up there already.' "
Given Stony Brook's America East regular-season championship in 2009-10 and its breakthrough NIT appearance against <a href="/topics/Illinois">Illinois</a>, this looked like the year. Except that Stony Brook's most influential player - demon rebounder/slick passer/gritty defender Tommy Brenton - is out with a dislocated knee suffered in an off-season pickup game. (On the shelf for injured players.)
Plus the team's leading scorer, Muhammed El-Amin, has graduated and gone off to play professionally in <a href="/topics/Hungary">Hungary</a>.
Pikiell acknowledged having to "take a little different approach" in terms of goals. "Now," he said, "we've got to have a good weekend" - meaning a run of victories through the conference postseason conference tournament.
That still would get Stony Brook into The Dance, no matter what in-season struggles it experiences, and that is enough hope for an energetic optimist such as Pikiell.
Freshmen Dave Coley, Anthony Mayo and <a href="/topics/Anthony_Jackson">Anthony Jackson</a> and junior college transfer Al Rapier bring "a new talent level," Pikiell said. And that televised NIT game last March translated into more exposure this season - nine TV games - so that "when we make phone calls now," he said, "people have heard of us."
When he tells potential recruits, "We're going to compete for the league title and try to get to the NCAA Tournament," he said, "these things are realistic now; four years ago, I was selling that vision. We didn't have any tradition in Division I. We didn't have any track record.
"The biggest thing in our program's improvement is that my phone never rings for scheduling. Never rings. When I first got here, I'm not kidding, I would take four scheduling calls a day. 'We want to play you. We'll come to your place. We'll play you three times. We'll sign a six-year contract.' "
Teams no longer sure they can beat Stony Brook have stopped calling. "So we'll try to sell that now," Pikiell said. "We'll play anybody."
Starting, on Friday, at UConn.

SPBKSBU07

Stony Brook men trying to be top-shelf

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Its 23-6 record, a run to the conference finals and the return of two standouts earned C.W. Post a share of the top seed in the East Coast Conference with defending champ Bridgeport. 
C.W. POST PIONEERS 
The return of leading scorer <a href="/topics/Aaron_Hall">Aaron Hall</a> (16 points per game), all-conference sophomore John Kohler and senior Gil Montalvo provides stability, although the Pioneers have a new coach in Chris Casey. 
"We'll try to push the ball and score quickly as they have in the past," said Casey, who replaced Tim Cluess. "But defensively, we'll play more man-to-man and full-court press." 
Post has six new players, including Southern <a href="/topics/Connecticut">Connecticut</a> transfer Tobin Carberry and Will Slinkosky from Suffolk CC-Selden. 
NYIT BEARS 
NYIT reached the ECC semifinals and enters this season ranked fourth with the return of all-conference senior Jerrell Walker, a 6-6, 260-pound forward. They'll also be led by sharpshooter Daniel Berg and Dominic Scurry, a member of the all-conference rookie team. 
The Bears' perimeter shooting should be helped with the addition of guard Jahari McKnight, coach Sal Lagano said.&nbsp; 
MOLLOY LIONS 
Preseason Player of the Year pick Brian Hutchinson returns, but Molloy lost six seniors after falling in the first round of the ECC tournament. 
Hutchinson, a forward who averaged 15.2 points and 8.9 rebounds, will be the Lions' only senior, though Dariel Concha and Tolulade Jegede are also back and expected to start. Jimmy Nolan, a sophomore transfer from Broward, will likely be the point guard. 
"We play Hofstra [today]," coach Charles Marquardt said, "so we'll have a good idea where we are after this weekend." 
&nbsp; 
DOWLING GOLDEN LIONS 
Dowling was 10-22 and lost David Seagers, its second all-time leading scorer, but coach Steve Hayn is convinced that last year's difficulties will make the team stronger. 
The Golden Lions return senior guard Sean Smith, a good shooter, along with Josh Malone, <a href="/topics/John_Merchant">John Merchant</a> and Mike Hill. They'll have nine new players, including Algirdas Macevicius, an athletic 6-6 forward from <a href="/topics/Lithuania">Lithuania</a>. 
"It'll be hard to replace [Seagers]," Hayn said, "but I think we're at a point now where we can absorb the loss throughout the entire program . . . I'm really optimistic with this group.&nbsp; 
ADELPHI PANTHERS 
Adelphi is coming off a 22-11 campaign and returns all-conference star and leading scorer Richard Byrd (18.5), and top rebounder David Akinyooye (7.5). But the Panthers will face tough competition in the Northeast-10 and they've got a new coach in Dominick Savino, a former assistant who takes over for James Cosgrove. 
"The 18 inches over [on the bench] is a huge move," Savino said, describing the transition to head coach. "I coached high school for 30 years, so basketball-wise, the move is pretty smooth. But it's learning everything else about the college level." 
Richard Harkins, a pass-first guard, will run the point, and <a href="/topics/Robert_Johnson">Robert Johnson</a> provides back-court defense. Noel Allen, a 6-5 freshman, could become an excellent rebounder.

SPBKECCM07

Leading scorer Hall returns for C.W. Post

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On Jan. 12 at Madison Square Garden, defending <a href="/topics/National_Collegiate_Athletic_Association">NCAA</a> women's champion <a href="/topics/Connecticut">Connecticut</a> will take the floor against St. John's, and Goliath might be in for trouble. 
Last year, the freshman trio of Da'Shena Stevens, Shenneika Smith and Nadirah McKenith led the Red Storm - picked to finish 12th in the Big East - to fourth with a 25-7 record and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to <a href="/topics/Florida">Florida</a> State in overtime.
Coach Kim Barnes Arico's team returns that young core along with seniors Sky Lindsay and Coco Hart plus sophomore Eugeneia McPherson (5.2 points per game.) of North Babylon, who is expected to make a larger impact not only with improved scoring but as a defensive spark.
Barnes Arico describes Stevens (14.3 points, 7.6 rebounds), Smith (12.9, 5.3) and McKenith (7.7, 4.7) as "three of the best players in the country. Players like that have gone to UConn and Rutgers in the past, but now they're coming to St. John's."
Last season's performance already has attracted transfers Mary Nwachukwu from <a href="/topics/Boston_College">Boston College</a> and Dix Hills' Tesia Harris from <a href="/topics/Delaware">Delaware</a>. They must sit out this season, but when they become eligible, it could put the Red Storm into national title contention.
"That's our goal," said Harris, whose brother Tobias is a highly recruited freshman at <a href="/topics/Tennessee">Tennessee</a> and brother Tyler is a top high-school prospect.
This season's Red Storm already has achieved a first in school history with a top-25 preseason ranking. The No. 14 ranking is the highest in any poll for St. John's women.
"Last year proved we could beat the really good teams in our conference," Stevens said. "We need to bring that confidence and motivation to get over the hump of being one of the top teams . . . You always want to get to the top, and it's definitely within reach. Why sell yourself short?"
That Jan. 12 date is circled on the Red Storm's calendar. Facing UConn is a daunting task, but Barnes Arico welcomes it.
"Playing at the Garden is something our kids look forward to every year," Barnes Arico said. "We're pretty good in the Garden. Our only loss there is to UConn, and I'm hoping we can change that."

SPBKSTJW07

St. John's women ready to challenge top dogs

St. John's Coco Hart

To the rescue, for Stony Brook women's basketball, come a trio of transfers and a potential scoring threat lost to injury last season. By taking some of the heavy lifting off the shoulders of senior Kirsten Jeter, it could mean a decided step up from a 10-20 season that ended in the America East semifinals.
Jeter, the 5-10 forward from Elmont, led the team in scoring (14.4) and rebounding (7.5) last season. But the anticipation for coach Michele Cherry's team is that newcomers Juanita Cochran and Whitney Davis will provide a decided boost. 
Cochran is a 6-2 center from Saginaw, Mich., by way of the <a href="/topics/University_of_New_Orleans">University of New Orleans</a>. Davis is a 5-10 junior forward/guard from Muskegon, Mich., who played for Muskegon Community College last season.
Cochran averaged 5.3 points and 6.0 rebounds and blocked 32 shots for <a href="/topics/New_Orleans">New Orleans</a> last season. Davis was a second-team junior college All-American at Muskegon, leading her conference in scoring with 17.7 points and 12.8 rebounds per game.
A third transfer, guard/forward Talisha Bridges, also comes to Stony Brook from New Orleans. And Jodie Plikus, a 5-8 senior guard from Waterford, Conn., returns after missing the last season and a half because of illness. Some success from behind the three-point line as a freshman and sophomore makes Plikus' return intriguing for a team that likes a fast pace.
Added depth and experience are a blessing for Cherry's up-tempo style, which dips deep into a playing rotation, so returning sophomores Sam Landers, Amanda Corona and Dani Klupunger again will get their share of minutes. Senior Misha Horsey, second in scoring and first in assists last season, again will trigger the attack at point guard.
Stony Brook will open its season against Troy on Friday in a two-game mini-tournament in Elon, N.C., before returning home to play Hofstra on Nov. 18. Conference play will begin Jan. 3 against <a href="/topics/Maryland">Maryland</a>-Baltimore County.

SPBKSBUW07

Help is arriving for Stony Brook women

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It's an all-too-familiar question: When will the <a href="/topics/Connecticut">Connecticut</a> women lose? 
Few sports these days can boast a team that has exhibited the type of dominance that two-time defending national champion <a href="/topics/Connecticut">Connecticut</a> has. 
<a href="/topics/Geno_Auriemma">Geno Auriemma</a>'s crew has won 78 straight games, 10 short of the all-time college record of 88 set by <a href="/topics/John_Wooden">John Wooden</a>'s <a href="/topics/UCLA_Bruins">UCLA Bruins</a> in 1974. 
With only two seniors back and five freshmen expected to get significant minutes, reaching that record will be difficult for <a href="/topics/Connecticut">Connecticut</a>. Three-time Associated Press All-American Maya <a href="/topics/Maya_Moore">Moore</a> is back, but even she realizes the monumental task the Huskies face. 
<a href="/topics/Tina_Charles">Tina Charles</a> and <a href="/topics/Kalana_Greene">Kalana Greene</a> graduated, and junior guard Caroline Doty, a starter in 38 games last season, tore her ACL in August and will miss the season. 
"I think each year presents a new set of challenges and this year is unlike any other," Moore said at <a href="/topics/Connecticut">Connecticut</a> media day. "With everyone that we will be missing this year, and all of the freshmen, there is just a lot of pieces that could present a challenge to us this year that we didn't have last year." 
Other key returnees for the Huskies include senior guard <a href="/topics/Lorin_Dixon">Lorin Dixon</a> and junior guard Tiffany Hayes. North Babylon graduate Bria Hartley is one of five freshmen expected to see significant time. 
<a href="/topics/Connecticut">Connecticut</a> will be challenged early when it hosts second-ranked Baylor and 6-8 sophomore sensation <a href="/topics/Brittney_Griner">Brittney Griner</a> on Nov. 16. 
"It will be up to us and me to make sure that the team is ready to come the first game," Moore said. 
Other teams in the mix include No. 3 Stanford, which fell, 53-47, to <a href="/topics/Connecticut">Connecticut</a> in the championship game last year. Xavier, with its frontcourt duo of Amber Harris and Ta'Shia Phillips, <a href="/topics/Tennessee">Tennessee</a> and Duke, led by Jasmine Thomas, are all candidates to end <a href="/topics/Connecticut">Connecticut</a>'s reign. 
<a href="/topics/Ohio">Ohio</a> State, with Commack's Sammy Prahalis and All-American center Jantel Lavender, travels to New York on Dec. 19 to face Connecticut in the Maggie Dixon Classic at Madison Square Garden. 
It will be Connecticut's 10th game of the season, which means all eyes will be on the Huskies if they are undefeated heading into the matchup. A 10-0 start would tie <a href="/topics/University_of_California%2C_Los_Angeles">UCLA</a>'s all-time consecutive wins mark.

SPBKWOMEN07

UConn will be hard-pressed to keep streak going

Connecticut's Maya Moore

<a href="/topics/Chanel">Chanel</a> Chisholm, G, <a href="/topics/Cincinnati">Cincinnati</a>, <a href="/topics/North_Babylon%2C_NY">North Babylon</a> — Chisholm sat out last season after transferring from Vanderbilt and should provide an immediate impact for the Bearcats. Julie Forster, F, Albany, <a href="/topics/Huntington%2C_NY">Huntington</a> — The 6-foot forward averaged almost a double-double (8.8 pts, 8.6 reb.) last season for <a href="/topics/Albany_Great_Danes">the Great Danes</a>. &nbsp; Kirsten Jeter, F, <a href="/topics/Stony_Brook%2C_NY">Stony Brook</a>, <a href="/topics/Elmont%2C_NY">Elmont</a> — A three-year starter for the Seawolves, Jeter will be counted on to help carry the squad to a top-four finish in the America East. Michelle Kurowski, G, UMBC, <a href="/topics/Hicksville%2C_NY">Hicksville</a> — A starter since her freshman year, the 5-9 junior has a 13.3 career scoring average. Sammy Prahalis, G, <a href="/topics/Ohio">Ohio</a> State, <a href="/topics/Commack%2C_NY">Commack</a> — Prahalis led the nation in assists last season and could make a title run with All-American center Jantel Lavender.

SKBKWLOCAL07

Local women's players in Division I to watch

Ohio State's Samantha Prahalis

Last season Molloy was the last team standing among Long Island East Coast Conference members Dowling and C.W. Post, and advanced to the second round of the <a href="/topics/National_Collegiate_Athletic_Association">NCAA</a> Division II women's tournament. 
Those same teams could emerge as contenders, except this season C.W. Post - the preseason pick to finish first - is the favorite. 
 
C.W. POSTPIONEERS
Led by Janea Aiken, Felicia Joyner and Alyssa Lombardi, C.W. Post (20-9) has the depth and experience to have a special season. 
"Having five out of seven coaches pick us to finish first . . . that was pretty nice," C.W. Post coach Deirdre Moore said. 
Post can rely on Aiken, who led the Pioneers in scoring last season (16 points per game), and is the conference preseason player of the year.
"She had a lot of success last year," Moore said. "She's a legit go-to player. And she doesn't force the action."
Moore also will count on Joyner (13.4 ppg) and Lombardi (7.5 rpg). "Felicia's been a team leader since she's been here," the coach said. 
 
MOLLOY LIONS
As for defending ECC regular season and tournament champion Molloy (22-8), which received two first-place votes in the preseason poll, senior center Caitlin Wheeler is the only returning starter.
But shed no tears for Molloy, which figures to get a big boost from Mercy College transfer Delmara Reece (12.6 ppg, 11.6 rebs.). Coach Tim O'Hagan also has Manhattan College transfer Laura Rivera as well as sophomore sharpshooters Christina Marra and Ashley Addison in the backcourt. 
"It'll take us a while to get going," said O'Hagan, who lost four starters from last season. "But Delmara's definitely going to help."
The Lions also have 6-4 freshman center Jessica DeNicola in the mix, and O'Hagan expects her presence to give Molloy a big edge in the paint. 
 
DOWLING GOLDEN LIONS 
Dowling lost some significant firepower from a squad that finished 20-9 a year ago, but still has some experience in backcourt mates Connie Simmons and Seja Gamble. Simmons and Gamble are sophomores, so coach Joe Pellicane expects some growing pains. "We have eight players who are either first or second-year players," Pellicane said. 
The hope for Pellicane and Dowling is that newcomers Shayla Felder and Emily Bongiorno will provide an immediate impact.
"I'm an old-school guy," Pellicane said. "I believe in team balance and sharing the ball. We'll need a lot of that this year."
 
NYITBEARS
NYIT (4-23), which finished seventh in the ECC last season with second-year coach Anthony Crocitto, could make great strides with Division I transfers Cierra Baker (Longwood University), Rebecca Lynch (St. Peter's) and Tiffany Seymour (Fairleigh Dickinson) and three-year letter winner Lauren Caggiano. 
 
ADELPHI PANTHERS
Adelphi experienced some change in the offseason as Heather Jacobs took over as coach. The Panthers (4-23) struggled to a last-place finish in the Northeast-10 Conference, but the cupboard isn't completely bare as leading scorer Ashley Caiafa returns. 
Jacobs said she is excited about the season and has a "dynamic group" of newcomers and experienced players with which to work.

SPBKECCW07

C.W. Post women look primed for championship season

SUNY-<a href="/topics/Old_Westbury%2C_NY">OLD WESTBURY</a> 
PANTHERS
<a href="/topics/Old_Westbury%2C_NY">Old Westbury</a> 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 <a href="/topics/Chris_Robinson">Chris Robinson</a>, 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 <a href="/topics/Malverne%2C_NY">Malverne</a> High School star <a href="/topics/Craig_Wilson">Craig Wilson</a>.
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-<a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a> point guard at <a href="/topics/Bay_Shore%2C_NY">Bay Shore</a> High School. Shahab Syed, a 6-6 center who took a semester off for pre-med, will be eligible in the second half.
<a href="/topics/Farmingdale%2C_NY">FARMINGDALE</a> STATE
RAMS 
In what was a rebuilding year, <a href="/topics/Farmingdale%2C_NY">Farmingdale</a> 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 <a href="/topics/National_Collegiate_Athletic_Association">NCAA</a> 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 <a href="/topics/Tom_Izzo">Tom Izzo</a> (10.3 points, 1.8 steals). Also returning is starting forward Richard Roach.
<a href="/topics/Nassau_County%2C_NY">NASSAU</a> CC
LIONS
<a href="/topics/Nassau_County%2C_NY">Nassau</a> 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 <a href="/topics/Baldwin%2C_NY">Baldwin</a> High School star Chris Mauldin, who transferred from Division II Bloomfield.
<a href="/topics/Suffolk_County%2C_NY">SUFFOLK</a> CC-<a href="/topics/Brentwood%2C_NY">BRENTWOOD</a>
LONGHORNS 
<a href="/topics/Brentwood%2C_NY">Brentwood</a>, 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-<a href="/topics/Selden%2C_NY">SELDEN</a>
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 (<a href="/topics/Copiague%2C_NY">Copiague</a>), Brandon Sillaro (<a href="/topics/Patchogue%2C_NY">Patchogue</a>-<a href="/topics/Medford%2C_NY">Medford</a>) and Jeren Hall (Newfield).

SPBKD3M07

A closer look at the men's D-III locals

SUNY-OLD WESTBURYPANTHERS If 2009-10 Skyline rookie of the year Krystina Agard plays the way she did last season, leading her team in scoring, blocks, steals and assists, SUNY-Old Westbury (12-13) could take a big step forward. 
But Agard will need help. Returning guards Daniella <a href="/topics/Santos%2C_Ltd.">Santos</a> and Brittany Jones (10.9 ppg, 9.5 rpg.) will be keys to the Panthers' success. 
<a href="/topics/Farmingdale%2C_NY">FARMINGDALE</a> STATE RAMS
It might take a while for defending Skyline champion <a href="/topics/Farmingdale%2C_NY">Farmingdale</a> State (22-1) to get on track without two-time conference player of the year Kim Blakney and backcourt mate Kamaya Miller. But longtime Rams coach <a href="/topics/Chris_Mooney">Chris Mooney</a> has very capable players in Juanita Chappel, Jeanette Zubizaretta and Dominique Cunningham. 
 
ST. JOSEPH'S GOLDEN EAGLES
St. Joseph's (15-12) needs to replace its top three scorers from a squad that finished fourth in the Skyline, including all-time leading scorer Trish McMahon. Junior Nicole Redding and sophomore center Amanda Bender are the leading candidates. 
 
USMMA MARINERS
 USMMA (2-12) struggled in the Landmark Conference, but coach Mike Dempsey already sees improvement. With his top scorer, Rebecca Grimes (14.9 ppg.), and best rebounder, Janay Weather (9.3 rpg.), back, Dempsey expects his crew to make the rest of the conference sweat. 
"We have some pretty good upperclassmen back who should help shoulder the load until the underclassmen are ready," Dempsey said. 
<a href="/topics/Suffolk_County%2C_NY">SUFFOLK</a> CC CLIPPERS
With several of his top players back from last season's 21-4 team - including All-Region XV selection Ashley Drumgole, Jeanette Spillane and Leah Elezar - <a href="/topics/Suffolk_County%2C_NY">Suffolk</a> CC is set for a title run. Coach <a href="/topics/Kevin_Foley_%28footballer%29">Kevin Foley</a> is confident his top three sophomores are ready to bring home the school's first Region XV title since 2003. 
"Having that kind of experience back makes it a little easier to coach," Foley said. "With the development and continued improvement of our three leading sophomores, we can be really good."
Suffolk's offense isn't even the strength of the team, according to Foley. "We were the top defensive team in the country last year and are always in the top five," he said.
 
<a href="/topics/Nassau_County%2C_NY">NASSAU</a> CC LIONS
<a href="/topics/Nassau_County%2C_NY">Nassau</a>, 16-6 last season, lost its top scorer to graduation, but returns three experienced sophomores in Samantha Campbell, Melanie O'Brien and Tricia Courtney. Nassau CC will need to rely on its defense, which was ranked second in the country, until its offense gets going.

SPBKD3W07

Agard looks to lead SUNY-Old Westbury in D-III

Preview: Hofstra, SBU, St. John's hoops and more

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