NYC Metro Preseason Honors

G Charles Jenkins (Hofstra)
G Jeremy Hazell (Seton Hall)
G Ryan Thompson (Rider)
G Mike Rosario (Rutgers)
F D.J. Kennedy (St. John's)

Second Team

G Jaytornah Wisseh (LIU)
G Paris Horne (St. John's)
G Sean Baptiste (FDU)
F Herb Pope (Seton Hall)
F/C Gregory Echinique (Rutgers)

Third Team

G Doug Davis (Princeton)
G Jio Fontan (Fordham)
G Muhammad El-Amin (Stony Brook)
G Wesley Jenkins (Saint Peter's)
F Robert Mitchell (Seton Hall)

All-Freshman Team

G Malik Stith (St. John's)
G George Beamon (Manhattan)
F Omari Lawrence (St. John's)
F Eric McAllister (Stony Brook)
C Brian Okam (Rutgers)
6th Dane Miller (Rutgers)

All Transfer (4-year and JUCO) Team

G Rico Pickett (Manhattan)
G Keon Lawrence (Seton Hall)
G James Beatty (Rutgers)
G Dwight Hardy (St. John's)
F Herb Pope (Seton Hall)

Keys to the season for each team

1. Seton Hall: team chemistry. The addition of transfers Herb Pope, Keon Lawrence (suspended indefinitely) and Jeff Robinson (mid-year) will do wonders for their depth, especially inside. All three have been a part of Bobby Gonzalez's program so there is familiarity. But no one's had to share shots (and touches) in game situations with the newcomers outside of the Pirates' exhibitions. They should be fine but issues like this can come up from time to time if they aren't nipped in the bud early.

2. St. John's: consistent scoring. The additions of Omari Lawrence, Dwight Hardy and Malik Stith should add another dimension to the Red Storm offense and the return of Anthony Mason Jr. (out with a hamstring injury) is a bonus. The preseason trip to Canada showed off the variety of options at Norm Roberts' disposal. But with many of those pieces remaining the same, improvement on the offensive end is a must if St. John's is to contend for an NCAA and/or NIT berth.

3. Rider: the frontcourt understanding its role. With the number of perimeter scorers on this team the Broncs don't need to see the likes of Mike Ringgold and Jermaine Jackson doing their best Allen Iverson impersonation. There are more than enough points available to Tommy Dempsey's team provided the big guys take care of the boards and stay within their games on the offensive end of the floor.

4. Rutgers: James Beatty. The junior college transfer is the lone true point guard at Fred Hill's fingertips, and despite the dual role that Mike Coburn played both in Spain and on the Jamaican National Team the Scarlet Knights would be in serious trouble if Beatty struggles. His play will be crucial to the development of Mike Rosario; the standout struggled with his efficiency at times due to the amount of attention he received from opponents.

5. Hofstra: The frontcourt. Miklos Szabo and Greg Washington will be the main men up front and freshman Halil Kanacevic will also be called upon up front. Tom Pecora's got another guard-rich team with Charles Jenkins but they're only going to go as far as the frontcourt allows them to. The Pride were one of the best defensive teams in the CAA last year; they'll need a repeat if they're to challenge in the top half of the league.

6. Stony Brook: Frontcourt depth. Tommy Brenton had a very good freshman campaign but he's only 6-4, meaning that Danny Carter and Desmond Adedeji are two guys who need to be consistent this season. Carter's standout effort came against Connecticut, scoring twenty to go along with six rebounds. But he finished the season with an average of just three points per game; he'll need to add more to the Seawolves attack.

The same goes for the one-time Dayton transfer Adedeji, who was expected to have an impact last season yet couldn't earn consistent minutes. These two could be the difference between fourth place (or worse) in America East and challenging for the conference title.

7. Fairfield: Frontcourt issues. Ed Cooley will have to juggle his frontcourt rotation some due to injury issues for both Anthony Johnson and Greg Nero. Luckily for the Stags players such as Mike Evanovich, Yorel Hawkins and Ryan Olander return along with the arrival of freshman Shimeek Johnson. It would be to no one's surprise if the Stags still contend to finish in the top half of the MAAC; Coach Cooley took a shortened rotation to a solid finish down the stretch that also included a win in the MAAC Tournament before falling to Siena.

8. Princeton: Who steps up to help the "big three"? Head coach Sydney Johnson has a solid core at his disposal in guards Doug Davis and Dan Mavraides, and forward/center Pawel Buczak. But whether or not the Tigers can pose a serious threat to two-time defending Ivy champ Cornell will depend on what they can get from other "sources". That means that players such as guards Marcus Schroeder and Nick Lake, and forwards Zach Finley, Kareem Maddox and Patrick Saunders will need to up their productions. That gets done and they'll have the best shot of the seven challengers to dethrone the Big Red.

9. LIU: How do they fill the holes left by three key (and unexpected) departures? Jim Ferry's team lost both Lucas Faggiano (Argentina) and Aurimas Adomaitis (Lithuania) due to family health issues in their native countries, and NEC Rookie of the Year Julian Boyd is unlikely to play due to a heart ailment. All this does is heap more upon the plates of guards Jaytornah Wisseh, Kyle Johnson and David Hicks and leaves the Blackbirds with an extremely young frontcourt.

Arnold Mayorga is the lone holdover up front, meaning that newcomers Kenny Onyechi and Jamal Olasewere will both lack the opportunity to test the waters; with the opener being at St. John's they'll be tested from the start.

10. Saint Peter's: Are they ready to take the next step? John Dunne's program made some headway last season; despite finishing with an 11-19 record the Peacocks won eight league games and avoided the dreaded Friday night doubleheader on the opening day of the MAAC Tournament. Now comes the task of breaking into the top half of the conference and while they're unlikely to have enough to challenge Siena, Niagara and Rider, Loyola and Fairfield are well within reach. Guards Wesley Jenkins and Nick Leon had good seasons and forward Ryan Bacon had a breakout campaign. If they get consistent from the supporting cast help keep an eye on Saint Peter's.

11. Yale: Replacing Travis Morin and Ross Pinick. That puts the onus on Garrett Fiddler, the lone returning starter up front, along with contributors such as Paul Nelson, Greg Magnano and Michael Sands. The Bulldogs aren't lacking for size with three of the four standing at least 6 feet, 9 inches tall, and they will all need to hit the boards. Another player to watch despite having a height of 6-5 is senior Jordan Gibson, who has the mindset necessary to be a good rebounder. With the tandem of Alex Zampier and Porter Braswell in the backcourt the big men could make the difference as to whether or not Yale can escape the bottom half of the Ivy standings.

12. Sacred Heart: Replacing Henley and Howard. That would be the departed Joey Henley and Ryon Howard, and the feeling is that the Pioneers will be a better defensive team this season. Liam Potter returns from a redshirt season to pair up front with forward Mehmet Sahan in the starting lineup, and reserves such as Stan Dulaire and Nick Greenbacker will need to step up as well. Sacred Heart is annually one of the nation's best shooting teams but that would go all for naught if the big guys aren't able to fill in those now-open roles.

13. Manhattan: Where will the points come from? Darryl Crawford returns for his senior campaign and with Chris Smith transferring to Louisville he is the Jaspers' leading returning scorer. Patrick Bouli has been a steady contributor at the point but he's not a lights-out scorer and it's anyone's guess what kind of production they'll get out of Antoine Pearson. These factors add up to Barry Rohrssen looking to newcomers Rico Pickett and George Beamon to pick up some of the slack.

Pickett has Division I experience, having played his freshman year at Alabama, and his speed makes him a dangerous option. Beamon can score from just about anywhere on the floor and will have every opportunity to earn serious minutes.

14. Army: How will the players adjust to the coaching change? The Black Knights should do well under first-year head coach , who took over for Jim Crews just weeks before the start of practice. And with Jarell Brown being the lone starter gone from last year's lineup Army is expected to crack the top half of the Patriot League standings. Guards Josh Miller, Cleveland Richard and Marcus Nelson have a wealth of starting experience, as does interior presence Chris Walker.

Never lacking for bodies, look for Army to also receive contributions from the likes of Julian Simmons, Jeremy Hence and Nathan Hedgecock with many others likely throwing their hats into the ring as well.

15. St. Francis (NY): Was this ranking too low (Part I)? At season's end it could very well play out that way given the amount of talent back in Brooklyn. F Kayode Ayeni's knee injury ten games into last season may have done wonders for this season despite the loss in a year of eligibility (he was just under 1 minute, 30 seconds over the NCAA's 30% rule). Forwards such as Herman Wrice, Nigel Byam and Richard Clark had to step up in his absence, and guard Ricky Cadell averaged nearly eighteen points per game once Ayeni was out of the lineup. Add newcomers such as Akeem Bennett and Alexander Harrington among others to this group and you've got a squad of Terriers who can surprise some folks in the NEC.

16. Columbia: New faces must have an impact in the frontcourt. Joe Jones welcomes back a lot of talent in the backcourt; if Patrick Foley and Niko Scott can stay healthy they'll be a part of a formidable rotation that also includes Norwua Agho, Kevin Bulger and Steve Egee. But the key for the Lions will be the frontcourt, especially transfers Brian Grimes (La Salle) and Max Craig (Loyola Marymount).

Asenso Ampim is the most experienced returnee and he played in just sixteen games last season due to injury. Craig and junior Zack Crimmins give Columbia a pair of seven-footers and freshmen John Daniels and Mark Cisco will also compete for minutes. If this group can rebound and defend the Lions have a better chance of finishing above .500.

17. Iona: Offensive consistency. Four starters return for Kevin Willard led by MAAC Rookie of the Year Scott Machado at the point. But can the Gaels consistently score enough points this season, likely improving upon their twelve wins from a season ago? Guards such as Milan Prodanovic, Rashon Dwight and Jermel Jenkins are just three of the many pieces for Iona, as are frontcourt players Alejo Rodriguez and Jonathan Huffman, and all hands will need to be on deck this season. There isn't one truly dominant scorer in the group, meaning that for the Gaels to be successful offensively they'll have to do it as a team.

18. Fairleigh Dickinson: Mike Scott at the point. Scott may have been able to ease into his role as the starting point guard had Cameron Tyler not had academic issues and Eric Moore not transferred. But those issues did spring up, meaning that the junior college transfer will run things for new head coach Greg Vetrone. But this may not be the worst thing as Scott is the consummate floor general who in his stops at UTEP and Eastern Utah posted an assist-to-turnover ratio of nearly 3:1. It will also help matters that All-NEC performer Sean Baptiste is back for his senior campaign. If Alvin Mofunanya can bring it consistently the Knights may be a surprise in the NEC.

19. Monmouth: Was this ranking too low (Part II)? The Hawks have more than enough young talent to prove that nineteen is too low, bolstered by the return of Whitney Coleman after suffering a season-ending knee injury nine minutes into last season. His injury allowed for the youngsters, guys like Travis Taylor, Will Campbell, Mike Myers-Keitt and James Hett to take their fair share of lumps while learning the ropes.

It wasn't pretty but they'll be better for it this season, not to mention the addition of Rutgers transfer Justin Sofman who should be a far better fit in Dave Calloway's offensive system (he's got more skill than was on display at Rutgers, where he was essentially pegged into the "spot-up shooter" role). Look out for the Hawks despite this low preseason ranking; they've got a chance to be pretty good.

20. Fordham: The young frontcourt. If Chris Gaston took the Atlantic 10 by storm it wouldn't be a surprise at all; the St. Anthony alum has an impressive skill set that warrants the preseason All-Rookie Team honor sent his way by the conference. But there isn't a "stabilizing veteran" up front outside of Jacob Green, which will likely lead to Gaston and company taking more than their share of licks this season. Khiry Gordon, Fahro Alihodzic and Brian Freeman will also be in the discussion for quality minutes up front for the Rams, who have to be thanking their lucky stars that Jio Fontan decided to return as well.

21. Marist: Can they overcome their youth? The Red Foxes are going to be an extremely young basketball team, hence the MAAC coaches picking them to finish in the conference cellar again this season. They've got to replace both David Devezin and Ryan Schneider, and despite the amount of talent that head coach Chuck Martin has put together this isn't the best year to be young in the MAAC. Sam Prescott, Devin Price and Rob Johnson are just three of the fresh faces in Poughkeepsie, and transfers Daye Kaba (Boston College) and Casiem Drummond (Villanova; eligible in December) will also be counted on to play major roles.

22. Wagner: What happens at the point? Early in the preseason 6-5 Tyler Murray was the starter at the point for the Seahawks, even starting the first exhibition at the position. But if the Seahawks are to be at their best then Mike Deane will need freshman Ryan Conrad to be the guy. T.J. Czeski will also figure into the rotation once football season ends but if last season proved anything it's that Murray is a more efficient contributor off the ball. Overall this is a young basketball team but they could threaten for an NEC Tournament berth should things work out at the point.

23. NJIT: The frontcourt newcomers will need to step up. The Highlanders return just two players in the frontcourt and Dan Stonkus and Ryan Regis combined to average 3.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game last season. That means that freshmen Matt Darnell, Nick Lopez and Sean McCarthy will all need to contribute if NJIT is to improve upon last season's 1-30 record. McCarthy and Darnell will be needed on the glass; the Highlanders' best rebounders were guards Gary Garris and Jheryl Wilson and if that happens again they're going to be in serious trouble.