SPARKILL, N.Y. (Nov. 15, 2014) - The Molloy College men's basketball team will open up its 2014-15 campaign with a pair of weekend road contests. The men's squad will play on back-to-back days as part of the St. Thomas Aquinas Classic. Taking place in Sparkill, N.Y., the Lions will start all the action tonight at 6 p.m. versus Pace University. They will have a quick turnaround with another neutral-site matchup against Saint Michael's College tomorrow at 4 p.m.
Head Coach
Charles Marquardt enters his 20th season at the helm for the Lions. With key losses such as East Coast Conference Player of the Year
John Petrucelli and 7-foot center
Tyler Hammett, Molloy was picked seventh in the ECC Men's Basketball preseason poll. The Lions went 17-13 overall last year, good enough for fourth place in the conference. Their campaign culminated with reaching the semifinal round of the ECC playoff ladder.
Senior
Matt McLeod (Greenlawn, N.Y.) leads the way for Molloy as its leading returning scorer. The senior guard was an All-ECC selection last year. In the frontcourt, seniors
Richard Zoller (Syosset, N.Y.) and
Miles Prendergast (Bayport, N.Y.) are expected to play big minutes this season. Junior
Brandon Williams (Baldwin, N.Y.) returns, playing in every game as a sophomore.
Pace University went 7-19 and 5-15 in the Northeast-10 Conference last season. The Setters are projected to finish fifth in the Southwest Division of the NE-10 preseason poll. Forward Jaylen Mann is expected to lead the squad. He averaged 8.7 PPG, 4.3 rebounds and 18 blocks last season. The Setters also add a trio of Division I transfers -- Kyle Pearson from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Shelton Mickell from CCSU, and Khalil Brown out of Monmouth University. Molloy fell 67-55 during their last meeting with Pace on December 28, 2009.
Saint Michael's College is coming off one of its most successful season in 13 years. They posted an 18-9 overall mark and a 13-8 record in the NE-10. The Purple Knights are projected to finish second in the Northeast Division of the preseason polls. Their veteran roster is made up of six seniors, four juniors, three sophomores and two newcomers. Redshirt-senior guard Mike Holton earned his second NE-10 all-conference selection last year, averaging a team-best 16.2 points. Forward James Cambronne also was named to the all-conference team posting 16.0 PPG and grabbing 7.1 rebounds per contest.
The Lions start their first five contests away from home. They return to Quealy Gymnasium on November 29 for a noon start against Nyack College.
