Complete Game Notes (PDF)

Wilkes (0-0) at Penn State Hazleton (0-0)
Monday, November 15, 2010 / 7:30 p.m.
Hazleton, PA

AT A GLANCE
The Colonels open their 2010-11 season as they travel to Hazleton to take on the Nittany Lions of the Penn State branch campus. Wilkes has won each of the last two meetings, outscoring PSU-Hazleton by an average of nearly 28 points per contest.

LAST TIME OUT
The Colonels finished 2009-10 with a loss to cross-town rival King's, 77-56 in the season finale.

Wilkes went 13-12 during the season, including a 4-10 Freedom record. Tom Kresge (Brodheadsville, Pa./Pleasant Valley) led the Colonels in scoring and rebounding, getting 17.6 ppg and 8.8 rpg in his 25 games played. He also led the team in minutes (34.6 mpg) and connected on 47.4% of his field goal tries (166-350).

Anthony Gabriel (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity) was 2nd to Kresge in both the scoring and rebounding categories. Getting 13.2 ppg and 7.0 rpg in his 25 games, Gabriel had a 50.7 FG% (110-217) playing just 25.8 mpg.

Chris DeRojas (Dallas/Bishop O'Reilly) led Wilkes in assists and was 3rd in scoring, dishing out 74 and putting in 12.3 ppg. He connected on 41-143 3FGs and went over 1,000 points for his career during the season.

The Colonels had a five-game winning streak during the season and won three of four Freedom games at one point, including an 81-78 overtime victory at home over Manhattanville in which Kresge (22-11) and Gabriel (26-11) each recorded double-doubles.

WHO'S GONE
Kresge and Gabriel, who were responsible for 43.6% of the Colonels scoring a year ago have both graduated. They also take with them 397 rebounds (15.8 combined rpg), 81 assists, 49 steals and 39 blocks.

Other players gone from last year are Chris Gulla (Berlin, N.J./Eastern Regional), Matt Meier (Endicott, N.Y./Seton Catholic), Mike Donatoni (Malvern, Pa./Great Valley) and Nic Wilkins (Dushore, Pa./Sullivan County).

WHO'S BACK
The Colonels return nine players, including three starters, from last year's squad. Two of those returning starters, Sr. G Chris DeRojas (Dallas/Bishop O'Reilly) and Jr. F Paul Huch (Tuckerton, NJ/Pinelands Regional), will be starting again as Wilkes will prove to be a very deep team in 2010-11.

Sr. G Chris DeRojas (Dallas/Bishop O'Reilly)     So. G Tyler Breznitsky (Freeland, PA/MMI Prep)           Jr. G Greg Colucci (Brick, NJ/Monsignor Donovan)
Jr. F Paul Huch (Tuckerton, NJ/Pinelands Regional)              So. G Steve Blish (Monroe Township, NJ/Monroe Township)                   So. G Aaron Dombrosky (Shenandoah/Shenandoah)
Jr. C Kendall Hinze (Lewisberry, PA/Red Land)       So. G Cliff Richardson (Bernville, PA/Tulpehocken)          So. C Bernard Edmonds (Exeter/Wyoming Area)

THE CAPTAINS
The trio of captains for the Colonels this season will be DeRojas, Huch and Jr. C Kendall Hinze (Lewisberry, PA/Red Land). The leading returning scorer for Wilkes, DeRojas is also the only senior on the team.

Stepping up their leadership roles for the team this season are Huch and Hinze, who have both earned valuable playing time during their two years on campus. Starting 20 games last season, Huch was 4th on the team in scoring (9.4 ppg) and 3rd in rebounding (5.9 rpg) and added 35 steals and 30 blocks.

Hinze started each of the last three games for the Colonels last season and five times scored in double-figures, including a double-double (13 pts, 10 rebs) against John Jay.

THE CENTURY MARK
Going into his final year in a Wilkes uniform with 1,092 points, DeRojas sits just 235 outside of the school's all-time top 10. A pure shooter, he has hit 166-467 3FGs (35.5%) in his three seasons, including 62 as a freshman.

DeRojas has a career average of 14.6 ppg with 19 20-point games and 4 30-point games, including a career-high of 37 points last year at Lycoming and two seasons ago against Alvernia.

FROM THE FOUL LINE
In addition to being lethal from the outside, DeRojas has also been successful from the charity stripe. He's hit 214-247 career free throws, an 86.6 percentage, including a season-best 94 as a sophomore.

ALL-AROUND
Huch contributed in a lot of ways for the Colonels last season, getting it done on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. With a 40.4 FG%, he scored in double-figures seven times, including a season-high 20 at Misericordia.

His 8 steals against FDU last year tied a Wilkes record, while also collecting 5 boards, 4 blocks and 12 points. Huch also led the team in steals and blocks. 

MAN IN THE MIDDLE
Hinze enters his first year as a full-time starter in 2010-11 after playing in 50 games with 8 starts his first two years on campus.In both of those seasons he led the Colonels in FG%, connecting on 61.5 percent (96-157) of his shots while scoring in double-figures eight times.

His best game in a Wilkes uniform came last year in a win over John Jay with 13 points on 5-7 FGs, 10 boards, 3 blocks and 2 steals.

THE TRANSFER
Coming in from Broome C.C., Jr. G Matt Mullins (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley) enters his first year with the Colonels. After playing in eight games as a freshman at Division I Binghamton, Mullins averaged 17 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists a game and was 1st team all-conference last season before coming to Wilkes.

In high school in New York, Mullins was a two-time all-conference performer and an all-state selection as a senior.

BACKCOURT RESERVES
So. G Cliff Richardson (Bernville, PA/Tulpehocken) saw his minutes increase as last season went on, starting four of the last five games and averaging 29.6 mpg over the final six. He reached season-highs in points with 8 in each of the final two games and had a season-high 6 boards in his first career start against Manhattanville.

Fellow So. G Tyler Breznitsky (Freeland, PA/MMI Prep) started 17 games a season ago but will look to add depth as he comes off the bench at the point this year. 2nd on the team with 54 assists in 2009-10, Breznitsky had a 1.42 assist-turnover ratio in his first season. In his first collegiate game he scored 7 points and dished out 5 assists, getting at least 5 in four of his first five games.

THE FRESHMEN
The Colonels welcome in five true freshmen this season, including G Craig Thomas (Avenel, NJ/Cardinal McCarrick), F Pat Furst (Jamison, PA/Central Bucks West), F Brendan Sheldon (Milford, PA/Delaware Valley), F Allen Heggs (Woolwich, NJ/Episcopal Academy) and F Aaron Wass (Gloucester, VA/Gloucester). Furst is penciled in as the starter at the 4-spot while Sheldon will enter in the rotation with him. Heggs and Wass will battle for time at both forward spots while Thomas will add depth to a talented backcourt group.

THE HEAD MAN
Wilkes head coach Jerry Rickrode enters his 19th season at the helm, compiling a 331-142 (.699) career record. He has taken the Colonels to the conference playoffs 15 times, including 10 straight from 1992-93-2001-02. He has also led Wilkes to five straight NCAA Tournament appearances (1994-95-1998-99), including four Sweet Sixteens, three Elite Eights and one Final Four appearance. He's also a four-time NABC Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year and a three-time Freedom/MAC Coach of the year.

Wilkes Under Rickrode:
1992-93 16-9 MAC Playoffs
1993-94 20-6 MAC Playoffs/ECAC South Playoffs
1994-95 25-5 MAC Playoffs/NCAA Tournament
1995-96 28-2 MAC Playoffs/NCAA Tournament
1996-97 20-6 MAC Playoffs/NCAA Tournament
1997-98 26-5 MAC Playoffs/NCAA Tournament
1998-99 25-4 MAC Playoffs/NCAA Tournament
1999-00 16-9 MAC Playoffs
2000-01 23-3 Freedom Playoffs/NCAA Tournament
2001-02 15-11 Freedom Playoffs
2002-03 17-7
2003-04 18-9 Freedom Playoffs
2004-05 15-10 Freedom Playoffs
2005-06 14-10 Freedom Playoffs
2006-07 12-11
2007-08 13-12 Freedom Playoffs
2008-09 15-11 Freedom Playoffs
2009-10 13-12
                 331-142

THE FRIENDLY CONFINES OF MARTS
The Colonels have been very successful playing at home under Rickrode, putting together a 191-49 (.796) record. In 1997-98, when the Colonels advanced to the Final Four, they went 17-0 and the next year went 14-0, moving on to the Elite Eight. Last season Wilkes went 6-4, including an 81-78 overtime victory over Manhattanville.