HOBOKEN, N.J. (November 13, 2018)  – The Stevens Institute of Technology men's basketball team welcomes No. 16 New Jersey City University to Canavan Arena Tuesday night for the 2018-19 season opener.

The Ducks return four of the team's five starters from one season ago, with junior Spencer Cook expected to again lead the offense. Cook led the team with 18.3 points per game one season ago and earned multiple postseason accolades including First Team All-Empire 8, Third Team All-Region by d3hoops.com and Second Team All-Met.

The 2017-18 campaign saw a shift as a deeper roster moved the team towards a significantly uptempo style of play. Nine different players averaged at least 10 minutes and seven players averaged five points or more.

The Schedule
The Ducks will again face a challenging non-conference slate. Following tonight's matchup with the Gothic Knights, the Ducks will travel to Lancaster, Pennsylvania for the William Marshall Tip-Off, hosted by Franklin & Marshall College. Stevens will take on Hobart in the first-ever meeting between the programs. The winner will face either Alvernia or F&M on Nov. 17.

This year's non-conference slate features usual opponents FDU-Florham Campus, Rutgers-Newark, College of Staten Island, Brooklyn College and Kean and the Ducks will host The Catholic University of America in a return game from last season. The contest with Kean on Dec. 29 closes out 2018.

Stevens opens play in the Empire 8 Conference on Dec. 1 against Sage. It will be the first time since the 2012-13 season that the Ducks open league play in the first semester.

The Ducks welcome Elmira and Utica to Canavan Arena Jan. 4-5 to open 2019. Stevens heads to Alfred and Houghton Feb. 8-9 to close out play away from campus and the Ducks welcome Hartwick to Canavan on Feb. 16 to round out the regular season. The contest against the Hawks will be the final Empire 8 regular-season game for the program as Stevens is set to join the MAC Freedom next fall. 

Postseason play begins on Feb. 22 on the campus of the top seed. The Ducks were ousted by Utica in last season's semifinals on a buzzer-beating three-pointer by the Pioneers' Avery Coston.

What's "Cook"ing on the Court?
Although he's entering just his third season on Castle Point, Cook is already etching his name in the record book. Last season, Cook's 18.3 points was the eight-best single-season total in program history. Cook and senior Jayson Winick each posted a three-point shooting percentage of better than 45 percent to rate as two of the top-10 single-season marks in club history. Cook's .446 lifetime shooting percentage from behind the arc currently ranks as the best mark in the 102-year history of the men's basketball program.

For his career, the Washington Township, New Jersey native is averaging 16 points, which is sixth in program history and is 263 points away from the 1,000-point mark. Cook is set to cross the career milestone against Sage on Jan. 15. 

Getting Defensive
Although known for their offensive production and tempo, the Ducks ranked among the top-25 teams in the country in several defensive metrics. Stevens ranked eighth in the country in three-point field goal defense (29.7%), 20th in defensive rebounding (30.4 per game) and 13th in total rebounding (43.7 per game), despite not having a single player average more than 6.3 boards per game.

Helping Hands
Again displaying the team culture established under 11th-year head coach Bobby Hurley, seven players averaged at least one assist. Junior Frank Amari led the offense with a career-high 2.2 per game and posted three games with five or more helpers. Amari is again expected to man the point for the Ducks and pair with sharp-shooters Cook and Winick in the starting lineup. 

Senior Ryan Coffey is again expected to man the post after averaging six points and five boards one season ago. Sophomore Alec DiPietrantonio is expected to join the Monroe, New York native in the post to form a potent presence in the paint.

Take Aim
Led by Cook's 57, 12 different players recorded at least one three-pointer. Senior Kevin Florio finished second on the team with 34 threes, but juniors Michael Zignorski and JoJo Mosca each converted one-third of their attempts. 

Junior Dylan Walsh and senior Conor Barron will also be part of the mix on the wing, after combining to shoot 42 percent (60-of-144) from the floor.

Welcome to Hoboken
The team welcomes a pair of freshman to the flock in guard/forward Sashan Sindhia and forward/center Colin MacCullough.

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