2009-10 Men's Basketball Season Preview

The Penn State Behrend Lions men's basketball team posted its fifteenth consecutive winning season in 2008-09, its eighth straight postseason (NCAA or ECAC) appearance, and the twelfth postseason appearance in the past 13 seasons.  In 2009-10 the blue and white will hope to return to the AMCC title game and compete for the league crown that they have won three times, most recently in 2007-08.

Veteran head coach Dave Niland has been leading the blue and white for the past 15 seasons, earning a school record 282 wins in that time, while being named AMCC coach of the year seven times.  Joining Niland on the sidelines once again will be Rand Garrity (third season) and Jimmy Sutton (second season).

Behrend lost two hardworking seniors from last year's squad and will look to its experienced upperclassmen to lead the team this season.  Seniors Adam Kaiser (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep), Adam Potter (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon), and DeShawn Haynes (Pittsburgh, Pa./Perry) will serve as team captains in 2009-10.  Kaiser was an All-AMCC First Team selection as a junior guard and will look to again put up big numbers for the blue and white.  Potter earned All-AMCC Second Team honors while playing a big role in the post for the Behrend Lions.  Kaiser and Potter were the team's leading scorers a season ago, with each averaging over 13 points per game as Behrend earned a 13-5 mark in AMCC play.  Haynes has served the team in a reserve role for the past three seasons and will again look for ways to contribute this season. The senior guard is an outstanding shooter and will be counted on for leadership in his final season.

There are two juniors on this year's team, guard Justin Kovac (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) and forward Chris Saltzman (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic).  Kovac returns after missing last season due to injury and should step back into the starting lineup.  Kovac was an all-conference selection as a sophomore in 2007-08 and will join Kaiser to form an exciting and explosive backcourt.  Coach Niland stated, "We're very excited that Justin is back and expect a strong season once again from him."  Saltzman is a terrific athlete with the potential to post big numbers on any given night.  As a sophomore he averaged 9.0 points per game and will hope to use the experience gained to take another big step forward in his role this season.

The sophomore class is three deep, featuring forward Nick Colella (New Castle, Pa./New Castle), along with guards Dan Simpson (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) and Nick Thorsen (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park).  Colella is another player who gained great experience a season ago and should provide a physical presence for the Behrend Lions in 2009-10.  Simpson and Thorsen helped out in the backcourt in reserve roles a season ago and will provide terrific depth this year.  Coach Niland said, "Dan and Nick gained valuable minutes for us last season, and we're counting on them to help us even more this season."

Coach Niland's staff has brought in six freshmen to join the team in 2009-10.  Russ Conley (Transfer, Pa./Reynolds), Dom DiVito (Edinboro, Pa./General McLane), Nick Dvorsky (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny), Adam Palcic (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic), Matt Shiner (Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield), and Chris Tamasy (West Newton, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) will all be first-year players for the blue and white. 

Conley joins the team as the tallest player on the roster and will provide an imposing presence inside with tremendous potential at this level.  DiVito is an outstanding shooter and will look to capitalize on his open looks in his first season.  Dvorsky brings athleticism and excellent size to the guard position, while Palcic is another guard who adds versatility and physicality to the backcourt.  Behrend adds two more deadly shooters to the team with first-year guard Shiner, and Tamasy, who can play both guard and forward positions for the Behrend Lions.

Behrend will play in a wide open and highly competitive AMCC again this season.  Coach Niland stated, "The league is very balanced, and each game will be a test.  Many of the top players in the league last year are still competing and it will be very challenging for us each night, but that experience should prepare us well for postseason play."

Behrend will open the 2009-10 season at home on the Junker Center floor on November 18 against Fredonia State.  The men will then take to the road on November 24 to open AMCC play at Franciscan University, followed by a road game at defending conference champion Medaille on November 30.  A highlight of the schedule will be a battle with Division I opponent Cornell, as Behrend will hit the road to face the Big Red on December 31.  The Behrend Lions will also play three home games against conference foes televised on the Image Sports Network, on January 18 (Franciscan), January 30 (Frostburg State), and February 3 (Medaille).

Two staples of the Behrend basketball program over the years have been outstanding pressure defense and long-range shooting.  In 2008-09 the blue and white led the league in both of those areas.  Behrend had the league's top scoring defense, yielding just 60.4 points per game.  The squad also used three-point shooting to bolster its offense as Behrend was the AMCC's top team in three-point field goals made (8.64/game) as well as long-range efficiency (37%).

The Behrend men's basketball team has been on a remarkable run under the leadership of Dave Niland for the past 15 seasons.  Hard work and successful seasons have become the rule, and all signs point to the 2009-10 Behrend Lions keeping the impressive run going.  Coach Niland said, "Our goal is to win the AMCC regular season each season.  Last year we fell short in the last week of the season.  With an experienced group of veterans and some exciting freshmen on our roster, we hope that if we're in that position at the end of this season, that we'll finish the job."