Arcardia Preview

The Blue Jays travel down the turnpike to take on the Arcadia University Knights. Following are a couple of previews of Saturday's opponent.

First, from the 2008-2009 Arcadia University Seaon Prospectus:

2008-2009 Season Preview

As the Arcadia Men’s Basketball team begins their first season in the Commonwealth Conference, they will look to improve on last year’s 12-13 record and make it over the final hurdle that stands between them and post-season play. They finished the 2007-08 season 6-6 in the Freedom conference, just one win shy of clinching a playoff berth. For the 2008-09 season, head coach Pat Dorney (6th season) will count on his returning players to bring leadership and experience to the team in order to punch a ticket to the Commonwealth tournament in late February.

While the Knights will have to replace the leadership and scoring ability of last year’s graduates, Sterling Green ‘08, Kevin Brown ‘08, and 1,000 point scorer, Eric Elliott ‘08, the team has nine returning players, including the trio of senior captains, Bobby Mulholland (Wildwood Crest, NJ/Wildwood), Blaise Pepitone (Vineland, NJ/Sacred Heart), and Terell Varnado (Forest Hills, MD/Archbishop Curly). All three veterans are talented wing players who have proven themselves ready to take on a leadership role in their final year. Coach Dorney describes Varnado as a big, strong wing that can defend, rebound and play with high energy. Pepitone is a versatile and able to play multiple positions on the floor. Mulholland returns as the team’s leading scorer, averaging 13.2 ppg last year as all three of these seniors will be major contributors on and off the court this season.

The remaining returning players consist of juniors Damien Palantino (Philadelphia, PA/Father Judge), Daune Robinson (Philadelphia,PA/Overbrook), and Steve Sharp (Media, PA/Penncrest). Palantino is a feisty guard that can shoot in the tightest of situations, Sharp is a wing player with long range and Robinson has the versatility to play both inside and out. The returning sophomores include Darrell Mills (Philadelphia, PA/Engineering & Sciences), Alexis Alfonso (Cape May, NJ/Lower Cape May), and Brett Sharpe (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern). Coach Dorney is looking to these returners to bring leadership on and off the court and help the new members learn the ropes of NCAA basketball.

The newcomers to the team include freshmen Andrew Vose (Philadelphia, PA/Father Judge), Khalief Trawick (Philadelphia, PA/Franklin Learning Center), Jason Thompson (Cape May Court House, NJ/Middle Township), Billy Beck (New Providence, NJ/New Providence), Dan Drennen (Willow Grove, PA/Bishop McDevitt), and Marcus Booker (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast) as well as junior transfer Dwayne Bradley (Philadelphia, PA/Martin Luther King). These players have been working hard in practice during preseason and will look to contribute when the season gets underway.

Coach Dorney returns a veteran coaching staff to the sideline this year in assistant coaches Ryan Kilkenney, Chris Rumsey, Omar Wells and George Dillon. Dorney boasts of the team’s depth, reporting to have “nine to eleven players who will all be competing for minutes through the preseason. We are not a big team but we are long and athletic.”

The Knights have a tough schedule ahead of them, but are more than ready for the challenge when they open the season on Saturday, November 15 at home against Rowan University at 4 PM. Commonwealth Conference play opens up against Coach Dorney’s Alma Matter, Lebanon
Valley College on January 7.

From the MAC Commonwealth Conference Pre-season Poll:

Arcadia (12-13, 6-6) places seventh in the poll with 15 points. The Knights look to overcome last season’s loss to Manhattanville that would have secured them a playoff berth in the Freedom Conference. Arcadia, while losing Sterling Green, Eric Elliott, and Kevin Brown, bring back seniors Bobby Mulholland Terrell Varnado, Blaise Pepitone, and Damien Palentino. Mulholland led the Knights last season in points scored in the conference (15.3 ppg) while averaging over 30 minutes per start. Green, who was a three-year player for the Knights, finished his career as an Arthur Ashe Jr. Scholar Athlete (716 points, 127 assists, 251 rebounds, 107 steals). In addition, Elliott was a 1,000-point scorer for Arcadia during his career.

Hopefully, we'll have a nice crowd to cheer on the guys. If you can't make it to the game, be sure to follow Live Stats for all the action.

Go Blue Jays!