Men's Basketball | 11/17/2014 1:32:00 PM

Utica NY (November 16, 2014) – The Utica College men's basketball team kicks off its 2014-2015 campaign Tuesday at SUNY Cortland ... Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Whitney T. Corey Gymnasium.

Follow the link for DIRECTIONS to Cortland…

UC Returns Last Season's Starting Lineup - Pioneers Bring Back 10

UC currently has 17 on the roster including 10 major contributors from last year's bench. While losing no players to graduation, Utica brings seven seniors, one junior and two sophomores back to the hardwood. Utica currently has seven seniors on the roster from last year including five starters ... UC returns seniors Chris Jeffers (Albany, NY/Bishop Maginn), Aaron Nevins (Buffalo, NY/Canisius), Rich Smith (Albany, NY/La Salle Institute), Conor Maisch (Kingston, NY/John A. Coleman) and the Felicia brothers, Marty and Mark, for their crusade as Pioneers ... The junior class features returner Robert Tutein (Nanuet, NY/Nanuet) and new comers Jacob Palmer (Kingston, NY/John A. Coleman) and Jawan Simmons (Syracuse, NY/Nottingham) while sophomores Agim Hamiti (Prishtina, Kosovo/Syracuse Academy of Science) and Griffin Kelly (Watervliet, NY/Watervliet) come back for their second stint with Utica ... The Pioneers welcome five freshman new additions including Dylan Veeder, Carl Taylor (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick), Mike Cannizo (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville), Ivan Iton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) and Shawn Celestin (Nanuet, NY/Nanuet).

Red Dragon Report

Cortland compiled a 14-12 overall record last season including an even 9-9 mark in the SUNYAC … SUNY made it to the conference tournament however was knocked in the quarterfinal round to host Oswego, 69-57 … The Red Dragons occupy a 60-24 overall ledger over the past three seasons following back-to-back 20+ win seasons in 2011-12 (22-7) and 2012-13 (24-5) ... Cortland won the ECAC DIII Championship in 2011 before the SUNYAC in 2012-13 and pushing into the second round of the NCAA Tourney.

UC vs. Cortland All-Time

Utica holds a 3-5 mark against Cortland dating back to the 2006-07 season ... UC beat the Red Dragons last season at home by four points, 71-67 ... In the eight contests dating back to 2006, Cortland has won its five games by an average of 11.4 points while Utica has pull off its three ictories by an eight point average, winning by four, seven and 14 points.

Back on the Hardwood

Following Tuesday's opener, the Pioneers return to the court on Friday Nov. 21^st when they head to Rochester, NY for the University of Rochester Tip-Off Tournament ... UC is scheduled to play New Paltz on Friday at 1 p.m. and U of R and Gordon College on Saturday.

Utica concluded last season with an 8-17 overall record including a 1-13 mark in the E8 ... UC struggled on the road going 1-9 overall while winless at 0-7 in the league ... The Pioneers played well at home, however, posting a 5-7 ledger overall with a 4-1 mark in non-conference action.