By Claire Mattox
Elm Staff Writer
Experience. That is the word that surrounds the Men’s Basketball team this season. With eight seniors at the helm, this should be a historic year for the Shoremen. Three of those seniors, Kevin Breslin, Adam Naymick and Ryan Kearney were selected to be captains for this 2011-2012 season.
Kevin Breslin returns as the team’s leading scorer with 18.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists a game. He was selected to the 2011 All-Centennial Conference first-team and surpassed his 1000th career point last season.
Forward Adam Naymick averaged 7.4 points and 4.2 rebounds last year to help the Shoremen’s inside presence. Ryan Kearney will help support the team in the backcourt throughout the season.
The other guards in the senior class are Sal Schittino, Mark Deboy and James Hetzel. Sal Schittino was second on the team last season in scoring with 9.4 points per game and led the team in three-point shooting with 35.2 percent. Deboy averaged 3.6 points last season, also getting key minutes in the past two seasons, while Hetzel hopes to help lift the team in their last season together.
Chris Olsen and Max Finch round out the senior class as parts of the strong inside presence of the Shoremen squad.
Tony Hawkins and Charlie McShane are the only juniors on the roster this year. They both became key rotational players last season as Hawkins averaged 3.1 point and McShane added seven points a game. Kevin Cunningham is the only sophomore returning to the team this season. He averaged 3.1 points and started six games last year and will likely become an essential component to the team this season.
However, the team’s youth this season is almost equal to its experience. Coach Rob Nugent brought in six freshman to help boost the team to success this year. Kyle Pagan and Mark Henry join the frontcourt, while guards Sean Flanigan, John Weston, Jamal McLean, and Sean Brooks join the backcourt.
While the Shoremen did not accomplish all that they wanted to last year, they have a very promising roster, which will no doubt provide for an exciting season.