ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College men's basketball will embark on its 50th season of varsity competition on Friday, November 15, when the Soaring Eagles host Keystone to open the Elmira College Tip-Off Tournament, as part of the 38th Annual Athletics Alumni Weekend.

Elmira's roster will have a different look and feel this season, after losing lineup fixtures Justin Porrett '19 and Henry Cuffee '19 to graduation. Porrett graduated as the program's all-time leader in assists, while Cuffee added a dose of athleticism and scoring prowess on the hardwood. With a playmaking and scoring role up for grabs, the competition has been fierce throughout preseason practices.

Despite the talent that moved on, Elmira bolstered its roster with another large and deep recruiting class. With stellar veteran leadership already in place, the pieces are in place for 12th-year head coach Randie Torgalski's team to not miss a beat.

"We want to finish, play the full 40 minutes," said Torgalski. "I think our M.O. is we play the full 40 minutes, compete, and play harder than anyone in our conference and anyone else on our schedule. We're going to play until they tell us the game is over. We've really harped on finishing what we start this season."

As plenty of other teams around the Empire 8 Conference find themselves in re-tooling situations, the postseason picture is wide open. The Soaring Eagles have a three-level scorer in place with the uber-athletic Shawn Backus '21, while Jesse Adelson '20 leads a group of deep-ball snipers. EC's offense will have the ability to score with the best of them, and if the Purple and Gold can harness their raw athleticism on the defensive side of the floor, the opportunity to reach the E8 Championships is well within their grasp.

Guards
With Porrett finishing his time with the Soaring Eagles last winter, Elmira entered the preseason searching to replace his offensive production. While Porrett was a ball-dominant guard, the Purple and Gold will enact a committee effort to spread out the offensive load in the backcourt.
Adelson and fellow senior Jeremy Every'20 will have a plethora of opportunities to showcase their offensive talents. Adelson, who mainly plays off the ball, led the team with 52 3-pointers last season and will take on the role of a marksman once again. Every has improved each of his last three seasons and can knock down shots in the mid-range at a consistent clip.

"Jeremy and Jesse are going to need to be a calming influence for our younger point guards," Torgalski explained. "Their partnership on the court with Harry (Ravitz) and Kyle (Kokoskie) will be crucial. We're going to need Jeremy and Jesse to knock down some shots. I think both of them will do a very nice job in counseling our younger guys."

What Every and Adelson bring to the court in scoring, rookie Harry Ravitz '23 and sophomore Kyle Kokoskie '22 bring in play-making ability. Kokoskie flashed serious potential as both a starter and second-unit floor general as a freshman before succumbing to an injury that halted his debut campaign.

The 6-foot-1-inch Ravitz has dazzled the coaching staff throughout the preseason. The Pelham, New York, native profiles as a strong distributor who can score when needed after averaging 17.0 points per game at Pelham Memorial High School.

"Harry is going to be one of primary ballhandlers along with Kyle," Torgalski said. "Both of them have different strengths, but they've done a great job keeping us organized and taking care of the ball. They're going to be a great duo for us as they grow into the floor generals that we need them to be."   

Isiah Charles '21, Mason Weir '21 and Billy Smith '20 add further depth and leadership to the backcourt rotation. The trio has consistently provided valuable minutes off of the bench for the Purple and Gold and will once again act as spark plugs on the court.

The Soaring Eagles' options are further fleshed out by Paul Kelleher '22 and a quartet of freshmen: Parker Robinson '23, David Kruis '23, Blake Arlington '23, and Dyrese Brown '23.

Forwards
The Soaring Eagles return eight members from last season's frontcourt, creating a deep pool of talent for Torgalski to deploy.

Highlighting the group is Backus, who returns for his junior season. The Hamden, Connecticut, native has seen his role grow each of the last two seasons and is primed for a breakout campaign during his third go-round inside Speidel Gymnasium. After hitting double figures in 18 contests and averaging 13.2 points per game last year, the combo-forward has demonstrated an ability to score at each level. His ever expanding-offensive prowess, coupled with a palpable dose of athleticism, should set the stage for a raucous junior campaign.  

"I would love for Shawn to explode this year like I think he can," stated Torgalski. "He just has to let the game come to him. He's worked his tail off the last couple of years to be in the position to be the guy for us. Fortunately, we have a lot of pieces around him to help. The more guys Shawn can get involved and make plays, the less amount of eyes he'll have on him.

"I think Shawn can be our next all-conference player."

Height and length will not be in short supply for the Purple and Gold with Kyle McCreery '21, Joseph Amoddio '21 and Matt Amoddio '22 all vying for meaningful minutes down low. A healthy McCreery brings the ability to stretch the floor with a sweet stroke from beyond the 3-point arc. The Amoddio brothers, who stand at 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-7-inches, respectively, are significant deterrents to EC's opponents when they patrol the paint.

Sophomores Rashaad Nurse '22 and Quintel Clements '22 both seized advantage of their playing time as freshmen and will be vying for expanded roles this season. Nurse, who grabbed Empire 8 Rookie of the Week honors last season, can step out of the post and knock down shots in the mid-range, while Clements has a wide variety of post moves at his disposal. The pair bring a hard-nosed work ethic and scrappy demeanor to the less glamorous end to the floor, which will be key this season.  

Sophomore transfer Brendan Hyde '22 will look to carve out a role in Torgalski's plans this year. After spending the 2018-19 season at Saint Joseph's College of Maine, the 6-foot-6-inch forward has flashed the potential to be a two-way threat during practice.

"Brendan has been great energy wise," Torgalski said. "He's a tough hard-nosed kid that goes and gets the ball wherever it is. That's something we've lacked the last couple of years. If there's a loose ball, his hands are usually somewhere nearby. It's been a welcome addition to the team."

Newcomers Jeff Jung Jr. '23 and Haven Smith '23 have impressed during the preseason and ooze tantalizing potential. Jung is a former All-New York State honoree from his time at Greece Olympia High School in Greece, New York. He profiles as an all-around scorer who can play across multiple positions once he acclimates to the college game. Smith's energy and work ethic has caught the eye of the coaching staff throughout his first practices and is in line to earn minutes from the start of the year in the frontcourt. 

Nico Bossero '22 and Aric Westbrook '23 bolster Torgalski's options on the wings with the ability to switch between positions as matchups dictate.

Season Opener
The Purple and Gold open the 2019-20 campaign on Friday, November 15, with the first round of the Elmira College Tip-Off Tournament, as part of the 38th Annual Athletics Alumni Weekend. EC will battle Keystone inside Speidel Gymnasium at 7:30 p.m. The two-day affair will wrap up the following afternoon, with the Soaring Eagles battling one of Oswego State or Ithaca.

Elmira is aiming to flip the script against the Giants of Keystone after falling in its previous four season-opening contests. A relatively unfamiliar opponent, the Soaring Eagles last challenged Keystone in the 2017 season, which resulted in a slim overtime victory for the Giants. Despite facing a non-traditional foe, the Purple and Gold are confident they will start the campaign off on the right foot.

"We're looking to focus on us and not worry about the other team," said Torgaslki. "We can't over prepare since we don't really know what the Giants bring to the table. We're focusing on our preparation, our offense, our defense, our energy, and our effort. From there, we'll make adjustments as the game dictates."