Men’s basketball team opens season tonight
BOSTON, Mass. - After posting a 10-17 record and winning a playoff game in only their second season of play, the Wheelock men's basketball team is looking to make a run at the 2010 New England Collegiate Conference Championship. The team gets into action for the first time tonight at Wentworth Instititue of Technology at 7:00 pm. (Right: Sherard Robbins, Dan Main, and Kyle Pierce).
Wheelock was picked to finish fourth in the annual NECC pre-season poll, behind Elms College, Becker College, and Daniel Webster College, respectively.
Last year's Wildcat team advanced to the NECC semi-finals before losing to nationally ranked and eventual league champion Elms College 94-74. The Wildcats defeated Mitchell College 105-91 in the conference quarter final round to earn the program's first playoff victory in school history.
Third year head coach John Preziosa returns his entire starting lineup from last season, led by Senior tri-captain Sherard Robbins (Malden, Mass.). Robbins averaged double-doubles in points in rebounds last season, (17.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg), which helped earn him a spot on the NECC all conference team. The 6'5" center was ranked 14th in the country in rebounding in NCAA Division III and will be looking to break the 1,000 point plateau if his numbers remain consistent. Robbins enters this season with a career 788 points.
Also returning to the fold for Wheelock will be 6'3" junior Dan Main (Hopedale, Mass.), and junior tri captain Patsy Dinnuzo (Beaver, Penn.) Main is a three year starter who averaged a career best 11.2 ppg in 2008-09.
Preziosa will also rely on a handful of sophomores returning to the Wildcat roster this season, including point guard Kyle Pierce (Burlington, Mass) who averaged 11.0 ppg 3.4 assists per contest. Other sophomores that will look to build on solid freshman seasons will be 6'8" Eric Rice (Woburn, Mass) who had a career high 20 points against Gordon College last year, and averaged 7.5 ppg. Guard Max Kaim (Fort Lauderdale, FLA), and wing Victor Kashouh (Providence, RI) also return, along with 6'2" guard and forward Elliot Hernandez (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.).
Preziosa enters his third season extremely excited about this year's incoming freshman class. Looking to make contributions immediately will be 6'1" Bashir Hudson (Weston, Mass.), 6'5" Adam Russo (Arlington, Mass.), and 6'0", 6'3" F/G Gamy Cilien (Miami, Fla.), and rounding out this year's freshmen is combo guard Daniel Higgins (Wakefield Mass.).
