The Windsor Lancers Men's Basketball team will open their 2011-12 regular season this Friday night against Laurentian at 8:00pm at the St. Denis Centre.

To watch the games live via webcast, visit the SSN network at: http://www.ssncanada.ca/media/index.html 
 
Entering the season. the Lancers have done some re-tooling but are expected to once again be a top contender in the OUA West.

The biggest challenge facing Coach Chris Oliver will be replacing All-Canadian guard Isaac Kuon, which will be no small task. Kuon was the conference player-of-the-year and the Lancer go-to guy in clutch situations. 

“We have had great players leave us before,” said Coach Oliver. “You never replace a player like Isaac. You just re-define your team and it may allow others to showcase their talents.”
 
Also graduated is talented forward Andre Smyth, who was the team's top defender as well as a solid scorer and rebounder.
 
A trio of third-year stalwarts will form the core of the Windsor squad in 2011-12.  Point guard Josh Collins (Toronto) and post Lien Phillip (St. Mark's, Grenada) have been starters since day-one of their varsity careers, while combo guard Enrico Diloreto (London, Ont.) will likely inherit the spot vacated by Kuon.

“Josh and Rico will be the guys who take over what Isaac used to do for us, and by having two guys who can fill that role, rather than just one, it may be better for us,” Oliver said.
 
Those three have had major roles at Windsor since their arrival and should continue to set the tone. An OUA all-star, the 6-9 Phillip was selected to play for Canada at last summer's World University Games.
 
Having that stable core is critical for Coach Oliver as he brings in a contingent of new players from various sources. Some promising transfers have arrived and should challenge for playing time. Foremost among them are Jahmal McQueen (Oakville, Ont.) and Ryan Christie (Hamilton, Ont.), who both have CIS experience, at Toronto and McMaster respectively.

Other new arrivals include:  Anthony Ottley (Brampton, Ont.), Jared Malcolm (Whitby, Ont.), and Henock Araia (Ottawa), who have all spent time in the U.S. junior college ranks.
 
“It's challenging to build that team culture when you have more new players than returning players,” explains Oliver, who has guided the Lancers to two CIS tournaments in his six years at Windsor. “But there is no question about who the team leaders are, and the new players will learn they have to conform to the way we do things if they want to be part of a successful team.”
 
Among other returning players, much is expected of second-year post Evan Matthews (Belle River, Ont.), who at 6-9 can provide a twin tower look beside Lien Phillip.  Forwards Michael Godfrey (Wallacetown, Ont.) and Jeremy Butler (Windsor, Ont.) joined the program last year and will get the chance to play more after spending a year in the system.
 
“We're bigger than we've ever been, so we'll play to that as a team strength because there isn't a lot of size in the conference,” said Oliver. “The negative is that defensively we may struggle, so we'll have to see how we play and then try to define some roles.”
 
Several high school recruits are also on board, with local Windsor talent Junior Osuntola likely the best bet to get some playing time on the wing, while guards King Gabriel (Toronto) and Adem Said (Markham, Ont.) will gain experience behind the veterans. “Those guys all showed very well in our NCAA games, so I'm pleased with our recruits,” Oliver said.
 
Despite the graduation losses, Windsor looks more than capable of winning the OUA West and moving on to the nationals in Halifax. “You have to play every night in our conference,” said Coach Oliver. “There are no easy games. I think we could be very good, but there are several teams that could get on a roll and it usually comes down to who is peaking at the right time.”
 
Fans can purchase tickets ($8 adults, $5 youth/senior) to the game at the door or online at www.goLancers.ca. Season tickets are also available at both locations for only $50.