October 29, 2009

MEN'S BASKETBALL SEASON STARTS FRIDAY WITH EXHIBITION AGAINST CONCORDIA

2009-10 Schedule / Roster / Season Ticket Information

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - College basketball officially returns to the Chace Athletic Center Friday evening as the Bryant University men's basketball team opens its 2009-10 season with an exhibition game against Concordia University of Canada.   Doors open at 6 pm with the tip-off set for 7 pm.

Fans will have a chance to catch the new-look Bulldogs roster that will feature eight newcomers including UMass transfer Papa Lo (Thies, Senegal).  Ohio University transfer Frankie Dobbs (Berea, Ohio) will sit out this season as a transfer.

This will be Bryant's second year competing at the Division I level after posting an 8-21 record in its first go around under coach Tim O'Shea.  Bryant will welcome back leading scorer Cecil Gresham (Bloomfield, Conn.) who is back for his final season after leading the Bulldogs with a 13.4 ppg scoring average.  Gresham had a season-best 27 points in the teams win at Monmouth and had 24 against Providence College, Bryant's first official season-opening opponent on November 13 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.

Senior power forward Nick Pontes (New Bedford, Mass.) will give the team a solid presence in the paint this year while senior guard Chris Birrell (Scituate, R.I.) returns after scoring 6.2 ppg and handing out 3.5 assists per contest as a junior in 2008-09.

The Bulldogs will look to several newcomers to help lead the way this year, particularly on the front line.  Lo, a 6-foot, 9-inch center, played as a freshman at UMass in 2007-08 before transferring and will be counted on as a key shot-blocker in the paint.  Freshman Vladyslav Kondratyev (Gainesville, Fla.) adds size (6-8, 200) as well as the smooth-shooting Australian Claybrin McMath (6-8, 200, Adelaide, Australia).

Joining Birrell in the backcourt will sophomore Sam LeClerc (Fayette, Maine) who gained valuable experience as a freshman and newcomers Ralphael Jordan (Bel Air, Md.) and Erick Smith (Bel Air, Md.). Junior Adam Parzych (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) had a great second-half of the season last year and will be counted on to add a scoring touch off the bench.