Seawolves Fans

Coach Pikiell has been nothing but a first class basketball coach, person, and representative of our University since the day he stepped on campus and this is a well earned and deserved reward.

The growth and development of the men's basketball program over the last eight years has been remarkable.

While we see all of the good and exciting things going on around SBU and the athletic program the bottom line is that recruiting and building a successful programs, that wins with players who are good citizens and graduate, at a conference/level like ours is extremely difficult and rare. 

Practically this extension also allows Coach P and his staff to go out and recruit kids into the 14-15 class being able to let them (and their families) know that Coach P will be here to see them through their entire time at Stony Brook which is an important selling point.

Something we should not overlook is that Coach P has been able  to retain all his coaching  staff so far.. That's a huge plus for continuity  and the health of the program. We have a couple of assistants who could very well  be D1 head  coaches Jay Young and Lamar Chapman come to mind but for now are  still with our program. That's healthy for the team and the new kids coming in.

Actually, there's one more that hasn't been formally announced yet--Joel Angus.  He's a walk-on as well, and also a good-sized forward.

It brings up an interesting situation.  With Resner, Angus and McGrew all non-scholarship roster members, The team is made up of 15 players (the max allowed, I believe), but only 12 scholarship members (one short of the max).  In other words, SBU for this coming season actually has one scholarship position left, but no place to put him in the roster total.  As near as I can figure, Coach P. is saving an extra scholarship slot for the 2014-2015 season when there will be 3 scholly seniors graduating.  The result will be the availability of 4 new scholarship slots next year.

I guess I may misunderstand the NCAA rules here. But, perhaps you can fill me in a little CAPTAIN.  The SBU site says McGrew accepted a "Grant-in Aid" offer.  Is that the same (or count the same) as an athletic scholarship?

Grant-in-aid is NCAA lingo.  Only high school kids sign national letters of intent.  It's exactly that.  An intent to play for a specific school.  Once a kid transfers to a JUCO, another 4-year school, they can only sign a grant-in-aid, financial package.  It's a little more clear cut in basketball.  Full scholarship or walk-on.  Other sports offer partial scholarships.  Hope that clears it up.

That's a good start. The top144   poll  means little or nothing . In the past we weren't even on that list it was always  Vermont or Boston U.  in the  top 100 or so.  We will be fine come November

I don't know if it's true, but I saw a listing of your non-conference schedule on the AE board.  If confirmed, that is an extremely ambitious schedule.  They have you playing VCU, Indiana, LaSalle, Canisius, Loyola (MD), Columbia, Detroit, Toledo and Fla. Atlantic on the road, and Northeastern, Marist, St. Francis (NY), Cornell, FDU and some D3 at home.  I think that's too many non-conf. games, so perhaps some of them are in some type of exempt tournament, which I believe you can play in every few years.  I would assume the schedule will come out this month, but if this is true you should be more than ready for the league season.......