Oct. 12, 2007

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Thirteen home games, match-ups against national powers University of Kentucky and Villanova University and three television appearances highlight the 2007-08 Stony Brook University men's basketball schedule as released Friday by third-year head coach Steve Pikiell.

"We've put together a challenging and exciting non-conference schedule that includes two preseason top-25 teams in Kentucky and Villanova, one that will hopefully prepare us for a very competitive conference schedule," Pikiell said.

Stony Brook opens the season with a November 9 match-up against Big East power Villanova that will be regionally televised by Fox Sports New York (FSNY). The Seawolves will then return to Stony Brook University Arena for their home opener on November 12 against Lafayette College.

Home games against Columbia University and Dartmouth College along with a trip to the Bluegrass State for a match-up against Kentucky in storied Rupp Arena on November 27 highlight the rest of the non-conference schedule. The Seawolves will also travel for a showdown with Long Island rival Hofstra University on December 12.

Conference play will begin on January 3 at Stony Brook University Arena with a game against UMBC followed by two more home contests with University of Maine and defending conference tournament champion, UAlbany. The Seawolves open their road America East road slate on January 15 at Binghamton University in a game that will be televised by the Madison Square Garden (MSG) Network.

Stony Brook will then embark on a stretch in which it will play five of six games on the road, including a visit to face defending regular season champion University of Vermont on Jan. 21 and a return trip to Albany on Feb. 2. The Seawolves will wrap up their home conference schedule with a tilt against Vermont on Feb. 17 and a televised match-up with Binghamton on MSG in the regular-season finale on March 1.

Led by the conference's leading returning scorer in senior guard Ricky Lucas (Herndon, Va.), a third-team all-conference selection in 2007, the Seawolves return four starters from last season. He is joined by sophomore guard Eddie Castellanos (Hoboken, N.J.), senior center Emanuel Neto (Luanda, Angola), and senior guard Mitchell Beauford (Queens, N.Y.).