GENEVA, N.Y.—The Hobart College basketball team will host Keuka College in Bristol Gymnasium on Saturday, Nov. 14. The Statesmen's 106th season tips off at 4 p.m.
 
Hobart is led by second-year Head Coach Tim Sweeney. He enjoyed a very successful first season in Geneva, guiding the Statesmen to an 18-8 record and a second place finish in the Liberty League with a 13-3 record. The 18 wins are tied for the sixth most in a season by the Purple and Orange.
 
Sweeney will welcome back six letter winners from last season. Junior guard Pete Drescher and junior forward Zach Grattan are the only two with experience in the starting lineup. Drescher has started six games over the past two seasons, averaging a career-best 5.1 ppg last year. Grattan also has six career starts and, at 6-foot-9, is an intimidating presence in the low post.
 
Junior guard Thomas Campion came off the bench last season, playing in every game. He averaged 5.6 ppg, shooting 40 percent from 3-point range. Classmate Kenan Williams adds depth to the backcourt.
 
Sophomores Luke Ruddy and Andrew Riviello round out the returnees. Ruddy earned a spot on the Liberty League All-Rookie Team after a strong first-year campaign. He was named the league's Rookie of the Week three times in a span of four weeks. Ruddy scored a season-high 14 points at St. Lawrence and nearly notched a double-double with eight points and eight rebounds at Union in the season finale. Riviello, who was slowed by an injury in the preseason, appeared in five games.
 
Hobart's lineup will be bolstered by eight first-years all of whom stand between 6-foot-2 and 6-foot-5. A talented and diverse group, the Class of 2019 comes to the Finger Lakes from both ends of the state, as well as Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and as far away as Lithuania. While there is always a learning curve from the high school game to college, the young Statesmen have been impressive in the preseason and should make their presence felt from the opening jump.
 
Hobart's 2015-16 schedule gets underway with a renewal of a local rivalry. The Statesmen will square off with the Wolfpack for the first time since 2007. Hobart will also host Rochester on Tuesday, Nov. 17, before making its first road trip. The Statesmen will face a stiff test in their first game away from Bristol Gym, taking on Scranton, which is receiving votes in the D3hoops.com preseason top 25.
The 50th and final Wendy's College Classic will begin in Bristol Gym with the first round on Dec. 2. The longest running Division III men's basketball tournament features eight Rochester area teams and five days of outstanding men's and women's basketball.
 
The New Year brings with it the start of Liberty League play. The Statesmen begin conference play at Rensselaer followed by a visit to defending league champion and preseason favorite Skidmore the next day.
 
Hobart will travel to Boston in early January to play at Fisher, the first meeting between the schools, before returning to its challenging league slate for the rest of the season. The Statesmen were picked to finish fifth in the Liberty League in a preseason vote of the conference's coaches.