Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College Men's Basketball team opens the 2012-13 season with an experienced, yet relatively young squad that returns 14 players from a year ago. The Soaring Eagles feature nine upperclassmen including three seniors and six juniors. Meanwhile, the team returns five sophomores and brings in three new faces under fifth year head coach Randie Torgalski.

Elmira returns three players who averaged double digits in points a year ago in Josh Keys '14, Chris Cassidy '14 and Dan O'Brien '13.


Keys led the team averaging 13.6 points per contest shooting a team-best 42 percent from long distance. The junior drained 73 trifectas on the season, added a team-high 17 steals, and finished with 2.7 boards and 1.5 helpers per game. Keys ranked 24th in the nation in three-point field-goal percentage (42 percent) and 26th in three-point field goals per game (2.92).

Cassidy and O'Brien both averaged 12.3 points per outing. Cassidy led the team with 5.6 rebounds per contest as he shot 47 percent from the field and finished with a team-high 20 swats. O'Brien led the team in field-goal percentage at 48 percent, contributing 3.5 boards and 1.6 assists per contest. He also drained 31 percent of his attempts from downtown.


Classmates Matt Newell '14 and Derrick Vogel '14 each started eight games averaging 7.00 and 6.6 points per game, respectively. The two combined to average 7.2 boards per game and accounted for 22 three-pointers. Newell shot a team-best 46 percent from long distance in limited action, while Vogel dished out 3.6 assists a game.

Neil Randolph '15 and Kurt Dutcher '14 were solid contributors a year ago averaging 5.3 and 5.2 in the scoring column, respectively. Randolph proved to be a long ball specialist as he drained 34 of his 95 attempts (36 percent) from downtown. Meanwhile, Dutcher provided solid depth chipping in 2.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per ball game to go along with 13 steals.

Zak Kumor '14, Brian McDonald '15, Jake Metcalf '15, David Borelli '15, Tyler Dibble '15 and seniors Brandon DiPaola '13 and Patrick Reilly '13 will all look to add increased depth to a quality overall unit.


The Soaring Eagles welcome three newcomers to the team in freshmen Nick Cesare '16, Matt Davis '16 and John Mullane '16. Cesare, a 6'3'' combo guard will challenge for playing time at all three perimeter positions. Mullane, 6'4'', and Davis, 6'8'', should provide depth in the paint. Mullane is a good rebounder who can score. Davis is a strong post presence who can also shoot from the perimeter.

With 14 returning players with experience and three new faces posed to add depth all over the court the 2012-13 Elmira College Men's Basketball team will look to make its way up the competitive Empire 8 standings.