Men's Basketball

Sea Gulls will rely on experience and fresh faces in 2009-10

The 2009-10 Salisbury University men's basketball program is filled with experienced players and fresh faces to compete for a Capital Athletic Conference championship and a berth in the NCAA tournament.

The Sea Gulls return nine letter winners from last year's squad that made an appearance in the CAC Quarterfinals. The SU roster features eight new faces to the squad, including several transfers.  

"I think we have 12 or 13 versatile players that can play right away," said SU head coach Steve Holmes, who is entering his 10^th season with the program. "I think we are 10 deep with three or four evolving at this point before we get into league play, who we will need in the second semester, which is the bulk of our schedule."

GUARDS
The Sea Gulls will feature a wealth of experience in the backcourt highlighted by the play of senior guards Greg Palmer (Salisbury, Md.) and Devin Jones (Severn, Md.) who were named team captains.

Palmer, an All-CAC performer the past two seasons, returns as one of the top scoring threats for the Gulls. Last season he averaged 34.1 minutes, 14.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as he was named to the All-CAC second team. The senior has worked hard in the offseason and is expected to be one of the top players in the CAC.

"His work ethic has been great, I don't think he knows any other way when it comes to basketball. He is always encouraging to the team and they see him working on his own and they follow that lead, " said Holmes. "If we can rally around him and play well and be consistent as team then he has a great chance at the Player of the Year award in the league."

If Palmer is the lead-by-example type player for the Gulls, Jones is the voice for the Sea Gulls as he is a vocal player that puts his teammates in the best opportunity to succeed. Last season, Jones led the team in minutes per game (35.0 per game), points (15.0), assists (3.0) and averaged 4.5 rebounds per game. Jones will be expected to do more of the same this season as he will bring the ball up the court, run the offense and still be expected to contribute points offensively.

"I think that we will be leaning on him a lot," said Holmes. "He showed last year that he was really capable to do that. We will be able to move him off the ball a little bit, and play him on the off guard spot. Get him a little more rest with some of the reserves that we have, but we are still going to expect a lot out of him and I think he will be All-CAC type performer this year."

One player that Holmes will call to help conserve some energy for Jones or give a different look on offense is junior guard Joey Osborne (Rockville, Md.). Last season was Osborne's first season with the Gulls, and he played in 15 games and was relied on to bring the ball up the court for SU. Osborne has worked hard in the offseason and has made significant strides this preseason, playing with a lot of confidence.

The Gulls were forced to replace one of their most tenacious players in former player now SU assistant coach Sean Whittaker, who was described as a "glue-guy" for the Gulls last season. Holmes believes that seniors Drew Dickson (Silver Spring, Md.) and Ronald Mann (Ellicott City, Md.) can be that same type of player and really showed it last season. Dickson is a player that can come off the bench and provide energy to the team. Dickson plays tenacious defense, works hard up and down the court and has range from outside the three-point line. Mann is a similar player in that he can take the ball to the basket for points, is one of the top defensive players on the team and does the little things needed to win the game.

Junior Eric Johnson (Silver Spring, Md.) is a fresh face for the Sea Gulls, but is familiar with a few of the Sea Gulls as he played in the same high school program as Dickson. Johnson is a very talented and explosive guard that can be thrown into the mix for the Gulls.

FORWARDS / CENTER
The focal point of the Sea Gulls big men is junior 6-foot-9 center Chris McGrew (Burtonsville, Md.) who returns for his second season with the Gulls. Last season McGrew played in 26 games, averaged 19.1 minutes, averaged 8.3 points and brought down 5.1 rebounds per game. McGrew has had a season to get comfortable with the players around him and the offense and is expected to have a big season for the Gulls.

"Chris is very skilled and very deliberate with his play, he is not going to beat you up the court with sprints or anything like that," said Holmes. "We are expecting a lot out of Chris; if he continues to improve, is a threat game in game out, and his defense is consistent I think we could have a very good year. "

One player Holmes knows he can get consistency out of every game is senior forward Matt DeLizio (Glen Burnie, Md.). DeLizio played in 24 games last season and averaged 14.4 minutes and three rebounds per game. DeLizio is a crafty player that can step outside and use his shooting touch to beat a defender or use his 6-5 frame and score in the post.

SU sophomore forward Lee Righter (Columbia, Md.) is back for another season with the Sea Gulls and will be expected to play significant minutes in the front court. Righter spent the summer here at SU working out every day and getting ready for this season. After sustaining an injury two years ago, Coach Holmes believes that Righter is poised for a breakout season.

"I think Lee is ready to have a breakout year, he knows he has to be ready to spell Chris [McGrew], in whether it's foul trouble or fatigue, and we want to have somebody that we can go to and get some production, and Lee has proven that he is ready for that role."

Two newcomers in the front court that Holmes is very high on are junior Jason Nwosu (Silver Spring, Md.) and sophomore Mike Maczko (Bel Air, Md.), both transfers. Nwosu is described as a very intelligent player that has picked things up very quickly. Nwosu has been hindered by a few ailments thus far but is expected to be a significant contributor this season. Maczko has a basketball pedigree, as his father is the head coach at Baltimore City Community College. Maczko is a 6-foot-6 player that can run the court, has a deft shooting touch and can battle in the paint.

SCHEDULE
The Sea Gulls will open up its season on the road for the Pride of Maryland tournament hosted by Goucher College Nov. 20-22. SU's home opener and first CAC contest of the season is set for Dec. 2 when they host Hood College at the Maggs Physical Activities Center. Following that the Gulls will host its annual Optimist Classic on Dec. 5-6 with Methodist University, Hampden-Sydney College and Ramapo College in attendance. The Sea Gulls will not return home until after the holiday break, hosting Virginia Wesleyan on Jan. 4 before diving into the bulk of their conference schedule.