BRYANT MEN’S BASKETBALL PICKED TO FINISH 11TH IN NORTHEAST CONFERENCE IN 2009-10




SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University men’s basketball team was tabbed to finish 11th in the Northeast Conference (NEC) in 2009-10 according to a vote by the league’s head coaches. The announcement was made Wednesday during a media teleconference call as a prelude to the NEC’s 29th season.



Mount Saint Mary’s has been picked to capture the 2009-10 championship. The Mount, who fell to Robert Morris in last year’s conference tournament final, received nine first-place votes to finish ahead of Long Island in the preseason poll. The Blackbirds garnered one first-place vote. Defending NEC champion Robert Morris and Quinnipiac tied for third with the Colonials securing two first-place votes. Central Connecticut State was picked fifth, with Sacred Heart in sixth and St. Francis (NY) in the seventh position. Fairleigh Dickinson landed eighth followed by Monmouth in ninth, Wagner in tenth, BRYANT in eleventh and Saint Francis (PA) in twelfth.



Bryant, under the direction of second-year head coach Tim O’Shea, welcomes seven newcomers to the program after posting a respectable 8-21 record in the school’s first year competing at the Division I level – including a 6-8 mark against NEC competition.



“I think we’ll make a significant jump this year,” said O’Shea during the call with the media. “Recruiting really went better than I thought and I am pleased with the talent we were able to bring in this year. With a stronger freshman class and the returners back, we have a chance to surprise a few people.”



Senior Cecil Gresham (Bloomfield, Conn.) led the Bulldogs last season with 13.4 ppg, including a 24-point performance against Providence, who will be Bryant’s first opponent on November 13. Gresham can not only score inside but can step out as well, knocking down 57 three-point field goals last season. Senior Nick Pontes (New Bedford, Mass.) will give the team a strong presence in the paint while senior guard Chris Birrell (Scituate, R.I.) is a two-year starter who will look to run the offense from the point. Birrell averaged just over six points per game last year while handing out a team-best 3.5 assists per game.



Newcomers Papa Lo (Theis, Senegal), Vlad Kondratyev (Nikolayev, Ukraine) and Clay McMath (Adelaide, Australia) should help out immediately, all three adding excellent size and strength to the roster. A transfer from UMass, the 6-foot-9 Lo blocked 25 shots as a freshman for the Minutemen in 2007-08. Kondratyev, at 6-foot-8, will also give the team good strength inside while the 6-foot-8 McMath is a scoring threat from the perimeter as well as on the break.



Bryant will not be eligible to participate in the NEC’s postseason tournament until the school completes its Division I transition in 2012-13. However, the Bulldogs will play a full conference schedule this season and will be included in the NEC standings and weekly honors.



2009-10 Northeast Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll

1. Mount St. Mary’s (9)
2. Long Island (1)

3. Robert Morris (2)

Quinnipiac
5. Central Connecticut
6. Sacred Heart
7. St. Francis (NY)
8. Fairleigh Dickinson
9. Monmouth
10. Wagner
11. BRYANT
12. Saint Francis (PA)