The Warriors return two starters, senior forwards Channon Easley and Josh Wentz, along with four other letterwinners from last year's 18-10 squad to form a solid nucleus under sixth-year head coach Jeff Wilson.

Six new players will join the program as well, including three upperclassmen and three freshmen. The Warriors' up-tempo style requires up to a dozen players to be effective, so most of the newcomers will have a chance to play immediately.

Easley and Wentz give ESU two seniors who have both contributed since their freshman year.

Easley is a preseason All-PSAC East selection and one of the dominant low-post players in the conference, ranking third in blocked shots (2.1 per game) and eighth in rebounds (8.3 per game) last season. He was also in the top 25 in the PSAC in scoring and led the Warriors with 12.8 points per game.

He comes into the year ranked 10th in PSAC history with 143 career blocked shots and will have the chance to finish among the top five rebounders in school history.

Junior Chris Bach will also be a key contributor at forward, either alongside or backing up Easley. A Dean's List student, Bach was productive with 4.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in just under 10 minutes per game last year in his first season of organized basketball since playing at Philadelphia University a decade earlier (1996-97).

Easley and Bach provide a low post presence to complement a stable of guards and wing players, led by Wentz and sophomore guard Andy Heimbach.

Wentz averaged 9.9 points and 4.9 rebounds last season and presents match-up problems for opponents at either forward spot, checking in at 6-5 and 215 pounds.

Wentz enters his senior season as a 46.9-percent shooter from three-point range, the best in school history, and can step outside when he mans the four spot. When he slides to small forward, he can create a physical advantage over a smaller opponent in the post.

Heimbach is a 6-5, 185 pound guard with a great three-point stroke who scored 6.8 points per game in 2006-07, third among ESU's returning players. Heimbach hit double figures in 10 games off the bench, and averaged one three-point field goal for every 10 minutes he was on the floor as a freshman.

At point guard, junior Pat Fleury takes after spending two seasons backing up Murvin English. He had a 41-25 assist-to-turnover radio while playing about 10 minutes per game last season and will be counted on to make good decisions with the basketball.

Sophomore Robert Pines and freshman Daniel DeSousa will also see playing time at point guard behind Fleury. Pines played in six games as a freshman, while DeSousa won a state championship at New Town HS in Maryland.

Freshmen shooting guards Mike DeMarco and Mike Tobin come to ESU after decorated high school careers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, respectively.

DeMarco led Hazleton to three straight district championships and was third team All-State as a senior, while Tobin was the New Jersey Herald Player of the Year and Newark Star-Ledger Player of the Year in West Jersey during his senior year at Hopatcong.

Sophomore guard Dawud Lyons redshirted last year after transferring to ESU from Lackawanna College, and brings a presence off the dribble that will complement the Warriors' three-point shooters.

At forward, three transfers join the program for their first season - juniors Keith Mobley and Aaron Pinckney and sophomore Preston Ritter.

Pinckney should be an immediate contributor and provides a high basketball IQ and athleticism at power forward, while Mobley and Ritter may earn time in the rotation as they learn the Warriors' system.