Keene State men's basketball outlook; Owls open season against Colby-Sawyer at NHTI on Sunday

The Keene State men's basketball team will premiere its second season of the Young and the Restless on Sunday when it travels to New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord to play Colby-Sawyer College at 2 p.m. in the second game of the 2009 Jacobs' Bridge through Autism Classic.

Despite featuring another young cast with nine freshmen and four sophomores, the Owls hope to improve on last season's ratings that saw them finish 12-14 overall and 7-7/fourth in Little East Conference play.

Set to start his 11th season on the Owls' bench, Head Coach Rob Colbert feels both blessed and challenged by having such a young squad. "On one hand, we're very fortunate to have such a talented and committed group, but we're also hampered in a sense that we've had to take things very slowly," he said. "Nevertheless, we will not use youth or our opponents' age as an excuse. There is something to be said about having fresh legs and minds, and I'm excited about that. We're going to get better every day and every game, but there's no question we're still a work in progress."

With the loss of Tyler Kathan, an All-American and co-LEC Player of the Year, and Nate Anderson, an All-LEC second-team selection, Keene State will be missing two veteran members from last year's team. "Tyler and Nate aren't walking through that door," said Colbert, borrowing a line from former Boston Celtics coach Rick Petino. "Being small, we're going to have to reinvent ourselves and play the hand that we've been dealt."

Colbert is pleased with the progress of several of his sophomores, who returned fit and ready to take on added responsibility. Two of those players, forward Derek D'Amours (10.6 ppg.), a smooth-shooting member of the LEC's All-Rookie squad last season, and high-flying swingman Cody Snow (5.4 ppg., 3.7 rpg.) are expected to play prominent roles this season. Returning from a season-ending knee injury, Steve Boudreau brings toughness and leadership to the Owls' backcourt, while Matt Peruzzelli continues to develop as a face-up post player and should give the team a presence in the paint.

Two unheralded juniors, Cameron Fisk and Seth Stantial, should also be factors. Fisk is a rugged forward who can defend and shoot from the outside, while Stantial, relying on shear desire and heart, has elevated his status from role player to being in the backcourt mix.

All nine first-year players bring something to the table and will see playing time based on need and how quickly they adapt to the Owls' system. Colbert will press many of his first-year players into action, including point guards Tyler Grillo and Shane Norris; shooting guards Anthony Mariano, Ryan Boyle, Geoffrey Woodberry, and Drew Rolfe; and Eric Fazio, Michael Muller, and Orlando Zayas up front.

Colbert, who enters the season 10 wins shy of reaching the 200-victory coaching milestone, says his team will play an entertaining, fun style with lots of touches and shots. While he's concerned about his team getting to the line and generating second-chance points, he feels the Owls will use their youth and exuberance to their advantage. "We're going to dictate how you play and make it a full-court and full-roster game," he said.

While Colbert concedes that Keene State isn't in the conversation when people start to talk about teams that will battle for the LEC championship, he feels the Owls will make a determined effort to get in that conversation before the end of the year. "Right now we're developing a culture, understanding how to win, and teaching the players about handling adversity," he said. "We are definitely planting seeds. When we will be ready to harvest, I can't say."

After a couple of dress rehearsals, the young Owls are anxious for the season to begin. Colbert knows his team will have a tough time handling the more mature Chargers on Sunday. "If I had my druthers, I wouldn't be playing them in our opener," he said. "They are what we're not. They're big and old, and we're young and fast. So it's going to be interesting to see who wins the battle of wills."