Dec. 3, 2008

Stony Brook, N.Y. - First, allow me to wish you and your loved ones a very happy and healthy holiday season. On behalf of my wife Kate, our four children, my staff and team we hope your Holiday Season and New Year are prosperous and warm.

Regarding our basketball program, after the first six games of the non-conference schedule, I am pleased with our program's overall progress and feel that we are on the right course for long term success.

Our freshman class has infused a great deal of responsibility, energy, accountability and talent into our program. Freshman Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) has been named America East Conference Rookie of the Week on two occasions and currently ranks 20th in the nation in rebounding. Freshman point guard Bryan Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J.) most recently scored 15 points in a 62-60 victory over Columbia University and 24 points in our 60-39 win over (NJIT) New Jersey Institute of Technology and he has been protective of the ball and a steady "coach" presence in our backcourt. Freshman Dallis Joyner (Norfolk, Va.) has provided needed toughness, scoring and athleticism up front. At six foot eight and 255 pounds Dallis will continue to improve and provide great leadership for many years to come. Our fourth freshman Danny Carter (London, England) has given us great energy and match-up problems for our opponents in his minutes off the bench.

In addition to the freshmen, our upperclassmen have also played a vital role. Seniors Michael Tyree (Somerset, NJ), Demetrius Young (Sacramento, CA) and Marques Cox (Jamaica, N.Y.) have provided much needed leadership and experience to our very young team. Marques in particular has played the role of "defensive stopper" and on floor defensive leader for the team. He is an extension of our coaching staff when he is on the defensive end of the court.

Sophomore guard Chris Martin (Springfield Gardens, N.Y.) has provided needed offense off the bench. Junior Jonathan Moore (Cleveland, Ohio) has been a consistent threat from behind the three-point arc and junior Muhammad El-Amin (Lansing, Mich.) has proven to be a natural scorer. Junior center Andrew Goba (Durban, South Africa) has been our best low post defender.

Not only am I excited about our young team, I am also delighted with our new venue and team support facilities. After much hard work and a needed renovation over the summer to Pritchard Gymnasium and our locker rooms, Pritchard Gym now provides an exciting backdrop for our basketball games. University students have come out in record numbers, the band under the leadership of John Leddy is outstanding and our loyal fans have filled the gym with energy and enthusiasm that finally makes playing at Stony Brook a very tough place to play for any opponent.

This week, we have a stretch of three straight home games as we welcome Lehigh University on Friday, December 5 at 7:00pm, Mt. Ida College on Sunday, December 7 at 2:00pm and Long Island rival Hofstra University on Wednesday, December 10 at 7:00pm. Certainly a tough stretch of three games in six days. We'd love to see you at the games!

I also wanted to mention that while our roster is very young (we return most of the team next year) we signed one recruit during the early signing period. Marcus Rouse, a 6-2 combo guard from DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Md., is a standout player and team captain for one of the most storied high school programs in the country. Marcus averaged a team-high 14.0 points per game as a starter for DeMatha as a junior last season, shooting 45 percent from three-point range and almost 90 percent from the free throw line for a team that went 20-10 and reached the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) tournament semifinals. Keep an eye out for Marcus, he has a bright future at Stony Brook University.

Finally, as a reminder to our basketball alumni, we are hosting a "Celebration of Stony Brook Basketball" on Saturday, January 31 prior to our 7:00pm game against defending conference champion the University of Maryland - Baltimore County. We are bringing back alumni from every generation of Stony Brook Basketball to celebrate our past and bright future. More details will follow but we hope you can be a part of what will be a wonderful day. If you have any questions about the event, please contact Susan Abbott at 631-632-4647 or by email at susan.abbott@stonybrook.edu.

I plan to write you again later in the season and periodically through out the year to provide you updates on our program. As always, remember to Wear RED and Go Seawolves!

Sincerely,
Coach Pikiell

P.S. - Show your Seawolves Pride and be a part of our continued success by investing in the future of SBU Athletics and our student-athletes. To make a gift to the Basketball program or your favorite teams, please call Rob Emmerich at 631-632-6312 or click here to make a donation online