GENESEO, N.Y. - The SUNY Geneseo men's basketball team kicks off the 2013-14 season on Wednesday night opposite Morrisville in the friendly confines of Schrader Gymnasium.

Fourteenth-year head coach Steve Minton returns a strong nucleus of upper classmen, including four seniors and five juniors, that led the Knights to their fourth SUNYAC Tournament semifinal appearance in the last five years as season ago.

"Our depth will be a key component to our fortunes this season," said Minton, who ranks second on Geneseo's all-time coaching wins list with 193. "All our returning players have logged valuable minutes over the last three seasons, which will give us the ability to go deep into our bench if push comes to shove."

FRONTCOURT
Minton will have several familiar faces on the wings and in the paint. Junior forward Gordon Lyons returns after landing second-team All-SUNYAC honors following a sophomore campaign that saw him finish second in the conference with 8.7 rebounds per game and 12tth with 14.1 points per game. He also finished runner-up in the league with a .613 field goal percentage.

"Gordon can do a lot of different things for us, so I expect him to continue his progression as one the top players on our team," said Minton.

Fixtures in the Knights lineup over the last three seasons, seniors Jordan Jones and Matt Curry also return for their senior campaigns. Jones returns as the team's top individual defender, while averaging 8.4 points per game a season ago. Curry looks to build on a junior season that saw him average 6.0 points and 3.1 rebounds off the bench.

 "Jordan is an exceptional defender and is one of the best I've coached at Geneseo," said Minton. "Matt presents a lot of matchup problems for other teams as he is just as comfortable in the paint as he is taking outside jump shots."

Junior James McKenna and junior Devon Anderson are two more versatile forwards that will be depended upon to play under the basket or on the wings.

"James is a good three point shooter, and has also shown a lot of growth inside during preseason, where we'll ask him to have more of a presence this year," said Minton. "While Devon has dealt with some injury issues in the past, he has worked hard on getting stronger in the offseason. Keeping him healthy will be crucial as he can run the floor as well as, if not better than, any other big man in the league." 

BACKCOURT
Minton will also have plenty of experience to lean on among his guards, led by seniors Connor Fedge and Thomas Decker. Both have seen significant playing time since joining the team and will carry the team a long way with the amounts that the ball will be in their hands.

Fedge finished third in the league with a .543 shooting percentage, while ranking 13th in scoring with 13.9 points per game. He also stood ninth at the end of the season with 2.9 assists per game.

 "I believe Conor is an all-conference caliber player," said Minton. "He is a great finisher around the basket and is an exceptional defender. He is also the best overall athlete on the team."

Decker returns to the lineup as the Knights' starting point guard after averaging 2.7 assists per game along with 6.0 points per outing. He also finished among the squad's top long-range shooters, connecting on over 37 percent of his attempts from behind the arc.

Said Minton, "Tom's basketball IQ is invaluable. He knows just about everything that is happening on the floor before I have to say it."

Junior Andy Drescher returns as the program's all-time leader in career three-point field goal percentage, hitting better than 42 percent of his attempts over the past two seasons. Last season, he connecting on 47.7 percent of the long-range shots he took, while averaging 7.3 points per game.

"Andy is an exceptional shooter with good size," said Minton. "He can also get to the basket as well as hit from long range, so his ability to keep people on their toes will be important."

Junior Connor Rogers is back after seeing his role increase a season ago following some injuries in the Knights backcourt, while sophomore Connor Keenan also returns after gaining some valuable experience toward the end of last season. Sophomore Kevin Zabransky also looks to grow into a larger role following his first year in the program.

"Rogers came in and did a great job for us when the opportunity presented itself last year when we were working through some injuries. Keenan also got some valuable experience playing more and more at the end of last season, and I see that carrying over for him this year as well. Kevin brings a nice perimeter shot to the mix and also worked on getting bigger and stronger during the offseason."

Minton will have a trio of first-year guards joining the squad this season. Jack Eisenberg is a smart player that plays with a lot of ball control. Jonathan Cohen is another high basketball IQ player with a strong shot. Billy Burns brings a tremendous work ethic and has impressed the coaching staff in a short amount of time with his shooting ability.