BLOOMSBURG – The Bloomsburg University men's basketball team returns an experienced rotation of role players, along with some above-the-rim impact performers that hope to take the program to the next level in the 2012-13 season.
 
The Huskies reached the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) playoffs last season after posting a 19-8 record, the most wins since a 20-win campaign in Bloomsburg's previous postseason appearance in 2000-01.
 
It won a share of the Eastern Division regular-season crown with 15 PSAC victories and was led by some all-conference award winners.
 
Reigning PSAC East Coach of the Year John Sanow returns for his seventh season at the helm of the Huskies.  Sanow produced one of the best men's basketball seasons at Bloomsburg in recent memory last season and coached two 'Player of the Year' award winners.
 
Bloomsburg was picked third in the PSAC East Preseason Poll in October and has put the pieces in place for a return appearance this season.
 
“I thought that was right where we were going to be picked,” Sanow commented on BU's pick in the PSAC preseason poll.  “East Stroudsburg and West Chester certainly return strong teams; however, I feel like we have what it takes to be one of the top teams in the league this year.”
 
The Huskies said goodbye to five seniors and two starters last season.  Larry  Webster was named the PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Year and concluded his career as BU's leading shot-blocker with 175 and ranked sixth on the all-time rebounding list with 712.  Trevon  Johnson, who joins Sanow as a student assistant this season, finished sixth on the all-time assists list with 311. Both players scored over 1,000 points in their careers.
 
Bloomsburg's top returner this season is the reigning PSAC East Athlete of the Year, Dontahe Jordan (Williamsport/Williamsport).  Jordan has become one of top players in the conference and was awarded with numerous accolades last season including first team All-Region honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
 
In the 2011-12 season, Jordan averaged 15.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and led the league in free throw shooting at 87.9 percent.  He enters his junior year with 791 career points and 404 career rebounds.  He will need just 209 to reach the 1,000-point plateau and 136 rebounds to place him on the BU all-time list for career rebounds. 
 
Jordan was also named the PSAC East Freshman of the Year in 2010-11, and has been named to this year's Basketball Times Preseason All-American team and the All-PSAC East preseason team.
 
“People know who Dontahe is this year and the target is going to be on his back,” Sanow said.  “Teams are going to be focusing on him every night and he will often get a team's best defender.  He has to be ready to accept that challenge and step up every night for us.”
 
Bloomsburg also returns its top two three-point threats of a year ago. Lorenzo Christmas (Norristown/Norristown) was 52-of-134 (38.8 percent) from beyond the arc last season, and Nnamdi Njoku (Westampton, NJ/Rancocas Valley) shot 38-of-73 (52.1 percent).
 
As a team, the Huskies led the PSAC East in three-point shooting at 37.3 percent.
 
Christmas' long-range game has been one of his biggest assets to the Huskies in his two years in the maroon and gold.  He enters his junior season ranked eighth on the BU all-time three-pointer list with 103 after making 51 and 52 in his freshman and sophomore years, respectively.
 
Christmas is also active on the defensive end on the floor.  Of all returners, he led Bloomsburg with 31 steals last season.
 
Njoku averaged 8.3 points per game last season with his greatest moment coming on a last-second, game-winning tip-in at home against East Stroudsburg.    He was second on the team in field goal percentage at 54.2 percent and brings a great deal of leadership to this year's team.
 
“Their challenge this year is to make that next step in leadership with our team,” Sanow praised of three of his top returners in Christmas, Jordan, and Njoku.  “Not only are they very good players, but being able to lead our team by example will play a big part in determining how our season will go this year.”
 
Freshman guard Charles Haigler (Charles Town, WV/Hargrave Military Academy) and redshirt-freshman Wes Lyons (Millville/Millville) enter the season with a chance to make an immediate impact in the starting rotation for the Huskies.  Haigler, a 6-4 guard from Hargrave Military Academy, comes to BU with a year of prep-school experience.  A very quick and athletic guard, look for Haigler to give BU depth at the point guard position.
 
Lyons is a 6-6 swingman from Millville and can give Bloomsburg options both inside and outside of the paint.
 
The Huskies bring back some experienced role players who can expect to see significant playing time throughout the season.  Junior Nasir Jones (Philadelphia/Franklin Learning Center) and senior transfer Daniel Kusnyer (Wexford/Hillsborough CC) will be used heavily off the bench for BU.  Jones played in 18 games last season and scored 42 points.  Kusyner, a 6-4 guard, comes to Bloomsburg from Hillsborough Community College and can bring added shooting and a spark off the bench for the Huskies.
 
Sophomore guard Kendal Smith (Waldorf, MD/Thomas Stone) is coming off his redshirt season last year after playing in 17 games during his freshman campaign in 2010-11.
 
With junior Ed Hall (Washington, DC/Paint Branch) out for the season due to a knee injury, junior Moustapha Noumbissi (Upper Darby/Delaware County Christian School) and freshman Matthew Aikey (Mechanicsburg/East Pennsboro) give Bloomsburg options inside and on the glass.  Noumbissi saw limited action last season, but has great potential underneath with his 6-8 build. 
 
Aikey comes from East Pennsboro High School at which he averaged 22.5 points and 13 rebounds per game.  Often double and even triple covered, Aikey still produced great numbers for the Panthers and looks to continue his strong play for the Huskies this season.
 
Juniors Andrew Morgan (New Brunswick, NJ/St. Joseph's) and Armand Leaks (Philadelphia/The Shipley School), as well as sophomore guard Zach Sheetz (Landisville/Hempfield) return for Bloomsburg and can all expect to see playing time throughout the season.
 
Bloomsburg's combination of returning experience and incoming talent can help it take the next step after last season's impressive play through the regular season. 

“The experience from last year of being in the playoffs and that environment will help us in big game situations,” Sanow said.  “I think by us not having success in that game, we're hungry to get back there and want to prove we can win in the post-season and move forward.”
 
The Huskies open regular season play on Saturday, Nov. 10, hosting Pitt-Johnstown at Nelson Field House beginning at 3 p.m.
 
“We want to see improvement with every practice and every game,” Sanow commented on preparing for the team's opening game against UPJ.  “We got a little bit better with each of the experiences of our scrimmage and two exhibition games this preseason.  We have to go into this game prepared and feeling like we need to execute on both ends of the floor to ultimately get better with every game.”