Lesley Men's Basketball Season Preview

Preview

The Lesley University men's basketball came within just a few minutes of winning their conference championship last season to earn an automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament and with several returning players and quality group of newcomers, the Lynx will look to take the New England Collegiate Conference by storm in 2008-2009.

Captains

The captains for the Lynx this year are Malcolm Andrews (Medford, Mass.), Matt Grassa (Everett, Mass.), and Dana Datillo (Derry, N.H.).  These three upperclassmen have been a major part of the progression and growth of the men's basketball program at Lesley since the university turned coeducational. 

Andrews, standing tall at 6'5", is a great option for the Lynx in the low-post.  The senior is dominant on the glass and brings a high-level of enthusiasm to the court for every game.  Grassa will be leaned on heavily this year to run the offense as he has served as the team's backup point guard for the past two seasons.  Datillo is a natural gunner from the outside as Lesley will look to his quality shooting for an offensive spark.

Returners

Coming back for his sophomore season is Jesus Trejo (Methuen, Mass.) who has proven to be one of the most dominant big men in New England.  Trejo is extremely effective in the low-post, works hard on both offensive and defensive rebounding, and is a terror to the opposition with smothering defense.  Jon Cruz (Haverhill, Mass.) was second in assists for the Lynx last season and will be a huge piece of the offensive puzzle.  Cruz has the ability to weave and slash to score points in the paint.

Newcomers

Nijel Robinson (Plainsboro, N.J.) will be an immediate impact on the team with his ability to shoot the basketball.  He will be a go-to guy for the Lynx all season long.  Other freshmen such as Jaime Bolano (Weston, Fla.), Justin Askari (Woodland Hills, Calif.), and Bryant Itonyo (Medford, Mass.) will find themselves stepping into big roles this year.

Schedule Outlook

The Lynx, of course, will have their eye on the inaugural NECC Championship, but this year Lesley plays one of their hardest non-conference schedules since the inception of the men's basketball program.  Non-conference opponents such as Endicott, MIT, Bridgewater State, Westfield State, and Tufts are just a few of the teams the Lynx will be looking to beat to build their NCAA Tournament resume.  Ten out of the eleven teams they play in the first semester have been to the NCAA Tournament in the last three seasons.

To learn more about the Lesley University men's basketball team, please visit their website.

Contact:          Rob Palardy
                        Sports Information Director
                        Lesley University
                        617.349.8627 (office)
                        617.349.8640 (fax)
                        rpalardy@lesley.edu