2009-10 Season Preview

High Expectations for '09-10 Panthers
Conference Poll Projects Purchase 4th

Purchase, NY (Nov. 16, 2009) – After taking the Skyline Conference by major surprise last winter, league coaches have picked Purchase fourth in this year’s preseason poll.

A season removed from being the doormat of the league, the Panthers won 15 games in 2008-09, clinching a Skyline playoff berth in their first full season under head coach Jeff Charney.

Now, the question is whether or not Purchase can take that next step.

With no seniors on the roster, the Panthers feature a promising core of underclassmen and a standout junior class, led by swingman Marvin Billups and Corey Orgias, both of which were named co-captains for the 2009-10 campaign. Billups garnered All-Skyline First Team honors last winter and became the first in Purchase basketball history to be named to the D3 Hoops.com All-Atlantic Region Second Team, which would then by followed by a prestigious ECAC All-Star Second Team honor.

The Panthers are equally excited about the return of center Charles Thompson. The big man, who was ineligible to play last season, gives Purchase something it has sorely missed: An inside presence.

By adding Thompson, the Panthers open things up for Billups on the perimeter and now have a legit one-two punch in the front court with Orgias manning the other forward spot.

In addition to the team’s high expectations, Charney has high individual expectations for several newcomers, including elite transfers Michael McNair and Derrick Stanton, Jr. The dynamic guards add some more scoring punch and provide Charney and his staff with more “versatile” looks in the back court.

Stanton and returner Justin Walters will see a majority of the time at point guard while playmaking guard Tyriq Harrington will split time between the point and shooting guard positions.

Purchase also shored up some concerns up front by adding transfer Kevin Major, Jr. to the mix, while also welcoming back hard-to-guard big man John Simmons. Fellow junior returnee Maurice Richardson will also see some valuable time in the front court once he returns from an ankle injury.

Athletic swingman Shomari Rawlins is also eligible to return and should provide some relief in a reserve role at the 2 and 3 spots. Freshmen Andre Nixon and Daniel Birch round out a very talented roster, perhaps, the most talented in college history.

However, the Panthers have to prove their mettle against a difficult and challenging conference and non-conference schedule, which includes the Eastern Connecticut State Tip-Off Classic in November, the Springfield Invitational at the Basketball Hall of Fame in early January, not to mention the Skyline’s best, from NCAA regular Farmingdale State to highly competitive programs like St. Joseph’s College-LI and SUNY College at Old Westbury.        

A year after going 27-4 and advancing to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III Championship, Farmingdale has been picked first in the Skyline Conference men's basketball coaches' preseason poll.  SUNY College at Old Westbury, which returns its top three scorers from last season, was picked a close second with five first-place votes. SUNY Maritime was selected third.

Last season, Farmingdale finished first in the regular season, followed by Old Westbury, Maritime and Purchase – the same order conference coaches believe it will be again this season.

Charney said the Panthers look forward to living up to the lofty expectations and believe they can seriously top them, conteing for a championship this season, with a standout core group in place. "Last season was a step in the process, a big step," he said. "We're ready to take things a step further this year."

-Bobby Ciafardini, SID