POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Marist men's basketball team opens the 2012-13 season with their first official full-squad practice Friday evening. As Division 1 programs across the nation open preseason this evening, the Red Foxes will look to take the next step following a strong second half of its 2011-12 season.
Down the stretch in the final 10 games, Marist went 7-3, including wins over the eventual MAAC Champion Loyola, Maine in the Bracketbuster game and Saint Peter's in the MAAC Tournament.
This season the Red Foxes return their entire starting lineup and 14 players overall from 2011-12, as well adding three freshmen.
Senior Devin Price (Inglewood, Calif.) and sophomore Chavaughn Lewis (Queens, N.Y.) headline the returning starters as they combined for 28 points per game. Besides his 13.6 points per game average, Price notched nearly two three-point baskets a game with his final average at 1.9. Lewis augmented his 14.4 points per game average with the team's second-highest rebounding average with 4.7 boards a game.
Juniors Adam Kemp (Sherrill, N.Y.) and Jay Bowie (Tampa, Fla.) return to the front-line and will once again be counted on to give the Red Foxes a gritty and powerful duo on both ends of the court. Playing in his first full and healthy season, Kemp finished 2011-12 with a stat-line of 8.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game; both his rebound and block totals finished top six in the MAAC. Bowie finished with final averages of 7.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, though he closed the year averages of 10.7 and 6.2 after being moved to the power forward position on Feb. 2.
Finally, sophomore Isaiah Morton (Vineland, N.J.) returns as the team's starting point guard. Opening his career with 24 combined points versus NCAA Tournament-bound Kentucky and South Florida in the first two games of 2011-12, the Red Foxes got to see first-hand the potential that the young point guard was capable off. Morton finished his freshman season with a 7.8 point and 2.6 assist per game averages.
Additionally, red-shirt senior Dorvell Carter (Bronx, N.Y.) looks to return and play a prominent role after suffering a season-ending knee injury in the third game of 2011-12. Carter began the season with strong double-digit point outings versus Kentucky, South Florida and Vermont.
For the 2012-13 season, the Red Foxes will welcome a three-man freshmen class in the form of Khallid Hart (Newark, Del.), Phillip Lawrence (Baltimore, Md.) and Eric Truog (Chagrin Falls, Ohio).
Hart begins his time with the Red Foxes following a decorated high school career at The Sanford School, as well as in international play as he participated in the FIBA Americas U18 Championship as a member of the US Virgin Islands. Lawrence brings a winning pedigree from Mount St. Joseph High School and Philly's Finest AAU club, as well as length and a wide variety of playing skills, while Truog comes in as the three-time Chagrin Valley Player of the Year as a member of Kenston High School.
The Red Foxes will open their season versus Stony Book on Friday, Nov. 9 at 9 p.m. in McCann Arena. The contest will be the second of a two-game split admittance opening night doubleheader with the women's team.
Visit GoRedFoxes.com to purchase season tickets for the 2012-13 basketball season. The Marist Ticket Office can be reached at (845) 575-3553.
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