POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (November 16, 2015) – The Vassar men's basketball team will travel to Rochester, NY this weekend for a two-day tournament hosted on the campus of the University of Rochester.

Game Details
Opponent: vs. Ohio Northern University (1-0)
Links: (Ohio Northern Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Rochester, NY
Facility:  Louis Alexander Palestra
Date: November 20, 2015
Time:  3:00 p.m.
Game Coverage: (Live Stats)

Game Details
Opponent: vs. Rochester (0-0)/Keystone (0-1)
Links: (Rochester Men's Basketball Home Page)
Site: Rochester, NY
Facility: Louis Alexander Palestra  
Date: November 21, 2015
Time:  3:00 p.m./8:00 p.m.
Game Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video – Championship Only)  
 
 
Last Time Out: New Paltz senior R.J. Rosa scored a game-high 27 points, leading a 70-68 second half comeback for the Hawks over Vassar on November 13. Sophomore Jesse Browne (Barrington, RI/Deerfield Academy) posted a team-best 19 for the Brewers in their season opener, but VC scored just 25 in the second half.
 
Tournament Format: Vassar will face Ohio Northern in the opening round of the Rochester "Chuck Resler" Tipoff Tournament, while Rochester and Keystone will play later Friday evening at 8:00 pm. The winners will play for the championship at 8:00 pm on Saturday night, while the losing teams will square off in a consolation game at 3:00 pm. 
 
A Look at the Polar Bears: The Polar Bears welcome back three starters and 16 lettermen from last year's team that went 12-14 overall and finished sixth in the Ohio Athletic Conference with a 7-11 record. Despite its wealth of experience in the large number of lettermen, there are no seniors on the squad, giving the team a youthful look. Ohio Northern was slated to finish fourth in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) preseason poll, receiving 47 points. The Polar Bears opened their season with a 69-67 win over Alma (MI) getting a game-high 21 points from junior Konnor Baker.     

The Polar Bears will be led in the backcourt by junior guards Devon Allen (6.8 ppg, 31 3FGs) and Joey Hurless (6.2 ppg, 96 assists) who both return after a combined 25 starts a year ago. Junior Alex Radkiewicz is the returning starter forward after leading the team in rebounding (4.6 rpg) while adding 4.5 ppg in scoring.
 
Against Ohio Northern All-Time: Vassar and Ohio Northern will meet for the first time in men's basketball on Friday.

A Look at the Yellow Jackets: Rochester is coming off a 10-15 season in 2014-15 with a 6-8 mark in University Athletic Association (UAA) play. The Yellow Jackets will kick their season off tomorrow when the team travels to face Hobart College in Geneva, NY. At the helm for Rochester is head coach Luke Flockerzi, who has compiled an 81-49 record at Rochester while winning two UAA Championships.
 
Returning to lead the Yellow Jackets are junior guards Sam Borst-Smith and Mack Montague, who both received All-UAA honors a season ago. Borst-Smith led the Yellowjackets in a number of categories, including scoring average (15.1 ppg.), assists (71), and steals (48). He shot 48% from the floor (122-254), 39.7% outside the arc (31-78), and 82.3% from the foul line (102-124). Montague was a strong outside shooter for the Yellowjackets. He finished third in scoring overall with an 11.2 ppg. average for 25 games. He hit 98 of 242 from the floor (40.5%), 54 of 152 outside the arc (35.5%), and 31 of 38 at the line (81.6%).
 
Against Rochester All-Time: Should the teams match up, it will be the first head-to-head game between the schools in series history.  

A Look at the Giants: Keystone College's men's basketball team was been picked to finish sixth in the Colonial States Athletic Conference in the 2015-16 season according to a preseason poll of the conference's coaches. The Giants, who will be led by third-year head coach Brad Cooper, captured 49 points in the balloting and will look to return to the CSAC playoffs after narrowly missing out on a postseason bid last season.

Keystone, who posted a 9-16 overall record while going 9-9 in conference play last year, graduated its top three scorers from a season ago. The Giants still sport a large roster for the upcoming season, which includes eight freshman and 14 total underclassmen. Keystone fell 84-81 in its season opener to Messiah, but had four players finish in double digits including a game-high 16 points from freshman Devin Williams.

Against Keystone All-Time: Should the teams match up, it will be the first head-to-head game between the schools in series history. 

Collegiate Debuts: Three Brewers made their college debuts against New Paltz last weekend. Freshman Paul Grinde posted a double-double against the Hawks, finishing with 14 points and 13 rebounds while adding three blocks. Freshman Alex Seff posted five points and an assist in 16 minutes of action, while fellow first-year Chris Gallivan posted four points and two boards. 

Non-Conference Look: Vassar will look to improve upon its record in non-conference competition last season when the team went 4-5 against non-league opponents.

Rule Changes: There are a handful of rule changes implemented this season in college basketball. The most obvious is the change from the 35 second shot clock to a 30 second shot clock in the men's game, aimed at increasing the pace of play. For a specific list of rule changes, click here.

Play Away Early: Nine of Vassar's first 11 games will be played away from the comforts of the Athletics and Fitness Center, including the team's Liberty League opening weekend on the road vs. St. Lawrence University and Clarkson University January 8-9.

Going International: Vassar will have two games vs. Gustavus Adolphus and Central College in San Juan Puerto Rico this season at the Puerto Rico Classic Tournament.

Preseason Poll: The Vassar men's basketball team was picked to finish ninth in the Liberty League preseason coaches' poll released by the conference offices last week. The Brewers received 16 votes. (Full Poll and Liberty League Release)

Senior Leader: Senior Erikson Wasyl is Vassar's team captain for the 2015-16 season. 

Geography Lesson: Vassar's 2015-16 roster features student athletes from eight different states. New York and Massachusetts lead the way with three players from each.

On to the Next One: Vassar will be back on the road Tuesday, November 24 for a game against Maritime College in Throggs Neck, NY.