The Hobart College basketball team will begin the 2013-14 season at home on Tuesday, Nov. 19, when the Statesmen host the University of Rochester. Tipoff in Bristol Gym is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
Head Coach Mike Neer, in his third season at Hobart, will welcome back seven players from last year's Liberty League Championship winning squad, including three starters. The Statesmen went 21-7 a year ago, winning the league's regular season and tournament titles for the first time since 2000-01. Along the way, Coach Neer picked up his 600th career coaching win (607-339 entering this year). Hobart came up three points shy (in overtime no less) of beating No. 13 Rhode Island College in the NCAA tournament. The Statesmen also saw the program's first NABC All-American named in point guard Stefan Thompson. The second team selection finished his career fourth in career points and second in career assists.
 
Senior captains Richie Bonney and Joe Gibbons give this year's team outstanding leadership.
 
A D3hoops.com fourth team preseason All-American, Bonney is already 14th on the school's career scoring list with 1,147 points and could challenge Joe Corbett's 10-year-old record (1,701). An exceptional rebounder as well, Bonney will almost certainly finish in the top four on that career list. Hobart will need its guards to step up and knock down 3-pointers to keep defenses honest and give Bonney room to work in the paint.
 
With a modest scoring effort, Gibbons will pick up his 1,000th career point, although his first 201 came at Rensselaer before transferring to Hobart for his sophomore season. The coaches like what they've seen from him in the preseason, most notably a willingness to take (and make) more 3-pointers, an increased ability to make passes into the post, and to penetrate and kick.
 
Juniors guards Connor Rehbaum, Trey Blanding, and Andrew Hoy are likely to fill out the starting lineup. A returning starter, Rehbaum contributed 9.3 ppg and 6.0 rpg as a sophomore. Exceptionally strong at 6-foot-3, 210-pounds, the coaches will move him around on the floor to create matchup problems for opponents.
 
Blanding will take over at the point after averaging 18.2 minutes per game a year ago. He's a strong on-ball defender and a steady ball handler. Hoy has appeared in 29 games over the past two seasons, averaging just 5.9 minutes. He will take on more responsibility this season and has shown great improvement in the preseason.
 
Hobart was picked to win the Liberty League again this year in a vote of the conference's coaches, but if that is going to happen, the junior class will need perform like seniors, on the court and in the locker room.
 
Sophomores Philip Coughlin and Mike LaValle have limited game experience, but give the Statesmen depth in the backcourt.
 
Neer welcomes six first-years to the roster, three in the frontcourt and three in the backcourt.
 
The top guards are Thomas Campion and Peter Drescher. Campion played at Jamestown High School and is likely to be the first player off the bench. He's a good shooter and a quick, aggressive defender. From Jamesville-DeWitt High School via Tilton School, Drescher will fill-in at point guard. He's impressed the coaches with his competitive nature and his ability to learn the Hobart system. Walk-on Kenan Williams adds depth.
 
Forwards Connor Costello, Zach Grattan and Nate Robinson all have upside to their game, but will need time to grow into the college game. From Noble and Greenough School, Costello has shown plenty of athleticism. Grattan is 6-foot-9 out of John Stark High School in New Hampshire. He's a frenetic defender who has frustrated opponents into committing plenty of fouls in preseason play. Robinson may be the most "college ready" of the three, but he's been injured for most of the preseason and is behind his classmates in terms of conditioning. He has good hands and has range to 15 feet.
 
WHWS-FM (105.7) will broadcast Hobart home games this season. Fans can also watch the Statesmen online with All-Access video and Live Stats.