Nov. 18, 2002

Rockville Centre, N.Y. - The New York Collegiate Athletic Conference Men's Basketball coaches selected Adelphi University as the team to beat in the 2002-03 season. The Panthers are coming off a 2001-02 season that saw them win the NYCAC Regular Season Championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament Elite 8 for the second straight year. Last year's NYCAC Tournament Champion, Queens College, who also participated in the NCAA Tournament, was picked to finish second in the league behind Adelphi.

Dowling College junior Angel Figueroa (Cantano, Puerto Rico) was named the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Pre-season Player of the Year by the NYCAC men's basketball coaches today. Figueroa led the NYCAC last season with 26.2 ppg and was 16th in the league in rebounding with 6.1rpg, He also led the league in steals with 69 and led the league in three point field goals made per game with 3.16.

Joining Figueroa on the first team is Adelphi senior Wayne Nelson (Absecon, NJ), Philadelphia sophomore Brent Welton (Philadelphia, PA), Queens College sophomore John Sikiric (Maspeth, NY) and CW Post senior Ryan Bucci (Newburgh, NY).

The second team is lead by Bridgeport graduate student Jermaine Clark (Jamaica, NY). He is joined by New York Institute of Technology teammates, senior Kendell Holloman (Queens, NY) and sophomore Patrick Tunstead (Sydney, Australia). Rounding out the second team is Adelphi senior Tony Kellman (Queens, NY) and Queens senior Gary DeBerry (St. Alban's, NY).

2002-2003 NYCAC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
1. Adelphi University (7)
2. Queens College (2)
3. Philadelphia University (2)
4. New York Institute of Technology (1)
5. University of Bridgeport (1)
6. Dowling College
7. University of New Haven
8. CW Post College
9. Molloy College
10. Southampton College
11. St. Thomas Aquinas College
12. Mercy College
13. Concordia College

2002-2003 NYCAC Men's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Selections

FIRST TEAM                                          SECOND TEAM
Angel Figueroa, Jr., Dowling College                Jermaine Clark, GS, University of Bridgeport
Wayne Nelson, Sr., Adelphi University               Kendell Holloman, Sr., New York Institute of Technology
Brent Welton, So., Philadelphia University          Patrick Tunstead, So., New York Institute of Technology
John Sikiric, So., Queens College                   Tony Kellman, Sr., Adelphi University
Ryan Bucci, Sr., CW Post College                    Gary DeBerry, Sr., Queens College


Preseason Player of the Year:  Angel Figueroa, Dowling College