INTRODUCTION: There are high expectations as usual for The College of Saint Rose as another men's basketball season is set to begin. The Golden Knights are ranked among the nation's top-20 NCAA Division II squads in three separate polls and have been picked to finish fourth in the rigorous 16-team, Northeast-10 Conference according to the league's head coaches.

Such a forecast appears to be in line for a squad that brings back four starters and six of its top-seven returning scorers from a 2010-11 team that went 22-9 overall, 15-7 in league play, on the way to its 12th NCAA Tournament berth within a 20-year span.

From a broader perspective, the program's lineage is impressive. Saint Rose owns the 10th highest winning percentage in NCAA II annals. The Golden Knights have averaged nearly 21 wins during the last 15 seasons, and have gone 81-21 (.794) at home since the Events and Athletics Center was renovated for the start of the 2004-05 campaign.

Thus, there is certainly enough to live up. A veteran lineup coupled with a potentially outstanding recruiting class provides plenty of reason for optimism. Where it all leads is anyone's guess at this juncture, but nobody should be surprised if Saint Rose is poised to a make run towards the NCAA Tournament by the time March rolls around.

LETTERWINNERS LOST (3): Among the missing components from a year ago are guard Shea Bromirski, and forward Devin Grimes, along with guard Andy Pelletier and walk-on swing Spencer Dalzell. The latter two appeared in nine games collectively. Bromirski on the other hand was the club's second-leading scorer who garnered third-team All-League accolades after he averaged 15.3 points on the strength of 37.2 percent (77-for-207) shooting from the arc. Meanwhile, Grimes contributed 3.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per-outing in 13.5 minutes of reserve time.

LETTERWINNERS RETURNING (9): Five more letterwinners are back in the fold in addition to the returning starting quartet. A preseason All-American and a first-team All-Conference pick a year ago, senior guard Rob Gutierrez finished fifth in the NE-10 with a team-leading 17.9 points per-game and was in double-figures in all but two of his 30 contests in 2010-11. Also back in the mix is junior guard Andre Pope who tossed in 12.9 points on a regular basis and led the NE-10 with a 45.4 shooting percentage (69-for-152) from 3-point territory. Senior forwards Brian Hanuschak and Sheldon Griffin round out the quartet of returning starters. Hanuschak, who was named to the NCAA East Regional All-Tournament squad, averaged 11.5 points and a team-high 8.7 rebounds as a junior. Griffin produced 6.4 points and 4.9 rebounds on a regular basis.

Five sophomores comprise the rest of the veteran group including center Dominykas Milka, guard Kareem Thomas, forward Jin Hong, guard Eric Sinko, and guard/forward James Wilson.

The latter has missed the last two campaigns due to back-to-back preseason injuries, but he is an outstanding leader who is expected to be a solid contributor this year. Milka and Thomas both turned heads as freshmen and are expected to have a greater impact. Milka was the team's top reserve scorer at 5.4 ppg. He also hauled in 4.3 rpg throughout all 31 contests, while Thomas averaged 5.1 ppg during 17.1 minutes of action in 30 games. Hong and Sinko meanwhile appeared in seven and three contests respectively.

NEWCOMERS (5): Four freshmen and a junior college transfer comprise the list of newcomers. Junior guard Anthony Robustiano is an outstanding floor leader who finished fifth all-time in school annals with 202 assists and scored more than 500 career points during the past two seasons at Hudson Valley Community College.

A pair of guard/forwards in Travis Gill and Chris Dorgler; along with two backcourt players in Davon Sylvester and Max Weaver make up the freshmen group. Gill is a dynamic finisher who was an All-Brooklyn selection at Xaverian as a senior. Dorgler is simply a solid all-round player who was a CHSSA first-team All-Queens selection for Archbishop Molloy. Sylvester is a natural scorer who earned first-team CHSAA All-Star accolades in 2010-11 when he averaged 19.0 ppg, while Weaver is deft passer and shooter who helped direct CBA to the 2010 New York State class “AA” title.

SCHEDULE: Saint Rose will encounter 22 NE-10 games with home and home series versus Assumption, American International, Adelphi, Pace, New Haven, Southern Connecticut State and Le Moyne. The Golden Knights will also host Stonehill, Saint Michael's, Southern New Hampshire and UMass Lowell; and will travel to Saint Anselm, Bentley, Merrimack and Franklin Pierce.

The Golden Knights will play an exhibition game at Syracuse University on Tuesday, November 8 in the Carrier Dome. Tip-off is set for 7:00 pm. The two teams last met in an exhibition during the 2007-08 campaign, which the Orange won 80-71.

Saint Rose will then host a season-opening tournament for the second year in a row. The Hilton Garden Inn-Albany Medical Center will once again be the presenting sponsor. The Golden Knights will square off against Concordia on Saturday, November 12 at 8:00 pm following the Saint Anselm-C.W. Post game at 6:00 pm. The following day, Saint Rose will meet C.W. Post at 4:00 pm. Saint Anselm and Concordia are scheduled for a 2:00 pm start.

The remainder of the non-conference schedule includes an appearance at the Adelphi Holiday Tournament on Long Island that is set for Saturday, December 17 and Sunday, December 18. The tournament will also feature Molloy and Bloomfield. The latter earned a trip to the “Elite Eight” a year ago.

Six teams out of the NE-10, including the Golden Knights, garnered bids to last year's NCAA Tournament. Defending league champion Adelphi earned the conference's automatic bid, while American International, Stonehill and UMass Lowell were at-large selections; along with Bentley which advanced to the regional final.

SUMMATION: As usual, there is plenty to like about the Golden Knights who again are an experienced team, yet will benefit from the infusion of a superlative recruiting class. There is offensive firepower and athleticism within a group that has the ingredients for a postseason run. They'll probably play a bit more up-tempo than they have in recent years and as usual will rely on rebounding and multiple defensive looks.

Gutierrez came into his own as a natural scorer as a junior, Hanuschak has solidified himself as one the top frontcourt players in the NE-10, Pope can get to the rim and also knock down the long ball, and Griffin is a reliable post player who can contribute at both ends of the floor.

One key will the progression rate of the newcomers, along with the continued development of Thomas, Milka, Wilson, Hong and Sinko. The absence of Bromirski's scoring ability certainly will be missed, but there is something to be said for a club that returns four starters and six of its top-seven scorers from a 22-win team.