Friday, August 26, 2011
Stony Brook primed for big year
After a successful 11-day European exhibition tour, in which Stony Brook finished with a 4-1 mark, what can Seawolves fans look forward to? And will the time spent together translate into a successful season? Getting a jump things certainly won't hurt the team, especially with junior college transfer Ron Bracey and redshirt junior Tommy Brenton in the fold.
Here’s what we know:
Bracey can play. The 6-5, 220-pound swingman led Stony Brook in scoring (11.6) during the trip. If he’s anything like former Seawolves standout wing Muhammad El-Amin, it could be another special season for Stony Brook. The Seawolves missed El-Amin’s do-it-all scoring touch last season. He had the ability to get the rim and had a solid mid-range game. Bracey appears to be in the same mold as El-Amin.
Brenton, who missed last season with a knee injury, has returned to being the rebounding freak he was two years ago when he led the America East. The redshirt junior averaged 7.6 rebounds per game. Dallis Joyner could be poised for a breakout season offensively. The 6-7, 270-pound senior averaged 10.6 points per game. Fellow senior Bryan Dougher averaged 10.2 points over the five games.
Stony Brook’s offense was as efficient as it ever has been as most of coach Steve Pikiell’s regulars all enjoyed double-digit scoring games.
"I don't think the trip could have gone any better," Pikiell said. "The guys played great out there, we saw some great historical sites in three of the world's greatest cities, we lucked out with the weather and nothing went wrong with our travel. I'm excited that we've started the year out with this special trip and now we will build on this once fall practice comes and start preparing for our regular season."
Stony Brook visited Dublin, London and Paris over the 11 days.