Nov. 23, 2002

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook and Sacred Heart open the 2002-03 season on Saturday as part of the big S-HOOP-ER Saturday on the campus of Stony Brook University. Both teams are coming off sub-.500 seasons and square off for the second time in as many years.

Radio: Game can be heard live on WUSB 90.1 FM and on the internet at www.goseawolves.org

Head-to-Head:Stony Brook is 3-11 all-time versus Sacred Heart and has dropped the last two, including last year's 76-71 decision at Sacred Heart. Omar Wellington's 21 points spoiled a 36-point effort by Stony Brook's D.J. Munir -- the sixth-best single-game scoring effort in school history. SB will be without Munir today as he is academically ineligble for the first semester.

Scouting Sacred Heart: The Pioneers are coming off an 8-20 season in 2001-02. They return their top scorer in Maurice Bailey who averaged 18.9 points per game last season. Gone is the top rebounder from last year, Tim Welch, who pulled down 8.5 boards per game, which leaves Bailey as the top returning rebounder at 4.3 per game. The Pioneers are big with center Mading Mading standing at 7-2 and sophomore Kibwe Trim at 6-10.

Versus The NEC: The Seawolves are 0-2 against Northeast Conference squads since moving to Division I, falling to St. Francis (NY) in 1999 and Sacred Heart last season.

Stony Brook Lineup: Stony Brook's starting lineup will likely feature three starters who suited up for the first game last season in Mike Orfini, Jairus McCollum and Mike Konopka. The two new faces will be point guard Larry Jennings and center JonPaul Kobryn.

The JPK Administration: Center JonPaul Kobryn seems poised to emerge in the post for Stony Brook. The 6-9 sophomore added 25 pounds in the offseason and weighs in at a solid 250 to begin the season. Kobryn averaged 8.7 points and 3.4 rebounds as a freshman and shot 56 percent from the floor -- second best in the America East.

Exhibition Win: Stony Brook began the 2002-03 season with a 71-65 exhibition victory over the One World All-Stars on Monday night. Five Seawolves scored in double figures led by JonPaul Kobryn's 14 points. Mike Orfini and freshman Bobby Santiago each finished with 11.

Season Openers:: Stony Brook is 23-17 all-time in season openers. The Seawolves are 0-3 in openers at the Division I level. The last time the Seawolves began the season with a win at home was when they defeated Brooklyn Polytech 81-61 on November 10, 1997.

Getting Off To A Good Start: The Seawolves are hungry to get off to a good start this season. Last year, the first win did not come until game number seven against Cleveland State and SB went on to drop 12 of its first 13 games.

The X-Factor: Stony Brook forward Jairus McCollom seems to hold the fate of the team's success in his hands. In his two years, the Seawolves are 14-5 when he scores in double figures.

We Need Some Special K: Junior forward Mike Konopka will need to carry a bigger load this season, especially with the absence of D.J. Munir in the early going. Konopka returns as the team's second leading scorer from a year ago, averaging 9.6 points per game.

The Look From Downtown: Stony Brook will also look to improve on its three-point shooting from last season. The Seawolves shot only 33 percent from behind the arc and averaged only 4.2 threes per game, the worst in the America East. SB needs to improve on the defensive end in this area as well. The Seawolves were also dead last in three-point field goal percentage defense as opponents connected on 37 percent of their three-pointers last season.

17 AGAIN?: Stony Brook is hoping to bounce back from a 6-22 season last year just like they did two years ago following a 6-23 record. In 1999-00, the Seawolves posted a 6-23 mark in their first foray into Division I competition. But if a six-win season is any indication of what will happen the following year, the signs are good for SB. Stony Brook followed the 6-23 campaign with a 17-11 record, one of the most successful seasons in the program's history.

See You In December: The Seawolves will be without last year's second-team All-Conference pick D.J. Munir until late December. Munir lead the team in scoring, assists and free throw percentage last season. Academically ineligible for the first semester, Munir is expected to join the Seawolves following the completion of the first semester's exam schedule. The Sacred Heart game will be the first game that Munir has missed since setting foot on campus as a freshman. Munir will also be joined by a few transfers. Cori Spencer (Fordham), Tyrone Stallings (Fordham) and Al Hannah (Dominican) will also become eligible to compete in late December.

Larry's Back: Senior guard Larry Jennings returns to the lineup after suffering through a difficult 2001-02 season. The St. Joe's (Pa.) transfer expected to make big splash last year but broke his foot in preseason practice and never fully recovered. He attempted to make a comeback in late December but it was discovered after seven games that the foot had healed improperly. Jennings underwent season-ending surgery and now is ready to play in his first season-opening game since 1999.

Home Sweet Home: The matchup with Sacred Heart is one of 15 home games this season for Stony Brook. The Seawolves played only nine home games last year.

Pick Seven: In its second year as a member of the America East, the Seawolves were picked to finish seventh in the 2002-03 America East Preseason Poll. Boston University was picked to repeat as champ while Vermont checked in at number two.

Freshman Additions: Rookies Bobby Santiago and Hendrik Feist are the only two freshmen on the 2002-03 roster. Santiago was a standout at All Hallow's High School in Bronx, N.Y. He helped All Hallow's reach the CHSAA city championship game against Rice by averaging 12 points per game during his senior season. He was a two-time All-City and All-Archdiocese selection. Feist is the first German-born player to suit up for the Seawolves. He was a member of the 2000 U-20 German National Team and was selected to the 2001 U-20 Rookie All-Star Game.