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Staten Island, NY - Wagner begins the 2010-2011 season with a non-conference game against Lafayette tonight at 7:00 pm in the Spiro Sports Center. There will be a new face on the sidelines for the Green & White as Dan Hurley makes his Seahawk debut after spending nine highly successful years at prep power St. Benedict's High School in New Jersey. Juniors Chris Martin and Tyler Murray lead eight returners while the Wagner attack is bolstered by six newcomers. Tonight's game can be watched locally on Time Warner as Wayne Fidelman will be providing the play-by-play and Tim Gannon and Joe Nugent the color.

TIP-OFF TIME
The 90th season of collegiate basketball at Wagner College will tip off tonight when the Seahawks host Lafayette in the Spiro Sports Center. The teams will squaring off in the season-opener for the fifth-straight season with the Leopards winning three-of-four, including the last two. Wagner is 51-38 all-time in season-openers, but has lost seven of its last 10 lidlifters.

NEW FACES ON THE SIDELINES
While everyone that is associated with Wagner basketball knows that Dan Hurley is the new coach, the casual fan may not know that five other fresh faces have joined the Seahawk staff. Assisting Hurley will be Bobby Hurley, his brother and former Duke All-American, Bashir Mason, a former Defensive Player of the Year and 1,000 point scorer at Drexel, and Luke Murray, who spent last season under the guidance of renowned coach and Western Pennsylvania High School legend Sean Miller at the University of Arizona. Rounding out the staff are Scott Smith and Andrew Duffy. Smith will serve as the Director of Basketball Operations and perviously served under coach Hurley at St. Benedict's for the last seven years. Prior to being at Wagner, Duffy worked for Dakota Wesleyan University as an assistant coach for the men's team, helping the Tigers to a 28-6 overall record and the 2009-2010 GPAC regular season and conference tournament titles

HISTORY WITH LAFAYETTE
Lafayette, which was picked to finish third in the Patriot League preseason poll, holds a 5-1 lead in the all-time series, having won each of the last two meetings and three-of-four since resuming a series that had been dormant for almost 20 years. A year ago, the Seahawks opened up a 10-point second half lead before allowing the Leopards to rally by shooting 47.1 percent in the second half en route to an 81-72 victory at the Kirby Sports Center. Junior Chris Martin had 14 points while classmate Tyler Murray and freshman Danny Mundweiler each added 10 points.

PATRIOT LEAGUE
Tonight's game against Lafayette will be the first of three games against the Patriot League. Wagner, who will play Patriot League opponents in three of their first five games, will next travel to reigning league champion Lehigh on Monday at 7:00 pm in Bethlehem, PA before heading to Bucknell on November 29 for a 7:00 pm tilt. Last year, Wagner dropped both games against Patriot League opposition.

ROAD WARRIORS
After tonight's game, Wagner will venture to the road for seven-straight games before returning home to host Saint Peter's on Saturday, December 11 when Saint Peter's comes to Staten Island. That will be 28 days between home games for the Green & White. The Seahawks will only host four non-conference games this season.

WELCOME BACK
Tonight's game will also be a return to the college ranks for both Dan Hurley and Bobby Hurley. Dan last was a part of collegiate game as an assistant coach at Rutgers on March 3, 2001 when the Scarlet Knights lost to Providence 69-66. For Bobby, it marks his first appearance since back on March 20, 1993, when his Duke Blue Devils squad lost to Jason Kidd and Cal 82-77 in heartbreaking fashion.

TOUGH 2009-2010
Wagner will look to rebound from a tough 2009-2010 season under the guidance of Dan Hurley. A year ago, the Seahawks went 5-13 in games decided by 10 points or less, including dropping six by three points or less.

MARTIN, MURRAY LEAD THE RETURNERS
Junior guards Chris Martin & Tyler Murray return following solid seasons for the Green & White a year ago. Martin averaged 12.1 points per game (17th NEC) while Murray notched averages of 8.8 points, 3.0 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game. The duo also performed well from beyond the arc, shooting 34.4 percent and 41.9 percent (5th NEC) from long range, respectively. In the team's first exhibition game against Holy Family, Murray had 12 points, 12 assists and six assists while Martin notched 11 points and six assists in a 93-55 win over the Tigers.

MURRAY FINISHES STRONG
One player that didn't want last season to end was Murray, who came on strong over the last six games, averaging 14.0 ppg and 5.8 apg. Included in that surge was a career-high 19 points with six rebounds and six assists against eventual NEC Champion Robert Morris. In the preseason, Murray has emerged as a viable team leader while showcasing his team-first attitude.

BIG GAME CHRIS
Martin showed last year he was capable of scoring in bunches on any given night. The Garden State native dropped 20 points or more on five seperate occasions, including a career-high 34 points, on 12-of-24 shooting - including 8-of-17 from long range - against Columbia (12/8/08). In a thrilling 74-73 victory over Sacred Heart, Martin delivered the heroics with a last-second runner that proved to be the difference while capping a 28-point, six-trifecta night. He finished the season with 21 points in an 81-76 victory over Saint Francis (PA). All told Wagner won three of the five games that Martin hit for at least 20 points. In two career games vs. the Leopards, he is averaging 11.5 points per game.

O CANADA
Murray and Lafayette's leading returning scorer and rebounder senior Jared Mintz both hail from Toronto. Mintz averaged 14.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game en route to earning All-Patriot League honors a year ago.

SCOUTING LAFAYETTE
Mintz leads a Leopard attack that went 19-13 while advancing to the Patriot League finals. The 6'9” forward paced the team in scoring 13 times and rebounding 18 times. He is joined by fellow returning starters juniors Jim Mower and Ryan Willen. Mower averaged 13.8 points per game while Willen chipped in with 12.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

KEY TO THE GAME: CONTAIN MINTZ
Mintz has been a Wagner killer during his three years at Lafayette. He notched his third career double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds a year ago in the season opener against the Seahawks. For his career, he averaging 11.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game against the Green & White while shooting 63.2 percent (12-19) from the floor and 100.0 percent (10-10) from the charity stripe.

MUNDWEILER BREAKS OUT
Sophomore Danny Mundweiler broke out towards the end of last season, shooting a sizzling 46.7 percent from beyond the arc while hitting for double-digits in five of Wagner's final 11 games after doing so just twice in the first 20 games. He finished the year by averaging 5.3 points per game while shooting 40.6 percent from long range and ranking sixth in the NEC. During preseason, the Kansas native has displayed a solid shooting touch reminiscent of his older brother, Wagner 1,000 point scoer Joey Mundweiler. He and his brother have now combined for 1,440 points for the Seahawks. The younger Mundweiler has three years to try and match the combined total of 2,801 points scored in college by Danny and Bobby Hurley.

SCHROTENBOER & THOMPSON STEP UP
Sophomores Ryan Schrotenboer and Josh Thompson, like Mundweiler, improved as the season wore on a year ago. Schrotenboer picked it up as the season went on and converted his final eight shots of the year over the last eight games. A solid back-to-the-basket player, he has showcased improved athleticism and a willingness to attack the rim in the early going. The high-flying Thompson averaged 7.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while hitting for double-digits five times, highlighted by a career-high 23 points in a season-ending victory over Saint Francis (PA).

HARRIS RETURNS
Tonight's game marks the first action of the year for junior Clayfell Harris, who missed all but the Lafayette game a year ago due to injury. He redshirted the year and has two years of eligibility remaining.

SPILLER & CZESKI ROUND OUT THE RETURNERS
Rounding out the returners are a pair of seniors whose contributions are not neccesary found on the box score. Cliff Spiller averaged 2.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game a year ago while #T.J. Czeski# notched 4.6 points and 2.3 assists per game. Spiller played in all 31 games while Czeski played in 28, missing three due to the football season overlap. Czeski is finishing up his final season and will not play tonight. He is fifth on the Wagner team with 54 tackles and is playing at Albany tomorrow.

NEW FACES
A quick glance at the Wagner roster will reveal a lot of different faces. Six new players will grace the Seahawks' roster this season. In the backcourt, sophomore Kenneth Ortiz and freshman Latif Rivers join the squad.

Ortiz transfers to Grymes Hill from Southern Mississippi where he played in 26 games while helping the Golden Eagles to a 20-14 record. He will sit out this season due to NCAA transfer rules and have three seasons of eligibility remaining starting in 2011-2012. Rivers prepped at Connecticut powerhouse Avon Old Farms, averaging 21.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. The 6-1 Rivers is a combo guard that can take the ball to the basket or beat the opposition from the outside with his smooth jump shot.

In the frontcourt, Wagner welcomes freshmen Josh Daniell, Naofall Folahan, Orlando Parker and Brett Stewart.

Daniell comes to Wagner from New Jersey powerhouse St. Patrick's High School, where he helped the Celtics to a 24-3 record as a senior. Folahan, who has been playing basketball for just five years and hails from the Benin Republic. Last season at Wilbraham and Monsoon Academy in Massachusetts he helped the Titans to the WNEPS Tournament while averaging 8.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game in just his second year in America. Folahan is expected to see ample time as he continues to mature and develop as a basketball player. Parker has had an outstanding preseason and is expected to challenge for one of the five elusive starting spots. He helped lead Orlando Christian Prep to three-straight Class 1A State Championships and averaged 12.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game a year ago in helping the Warriors to a 28-4 mark. Not a traditional four, Parker can spot up and hit from 15-18 feet while helping open up the game for his teammates. Stewart is the team's lone walk-on and has been brought along slowly. He played his prep ball at Solebury (MD) High School, earning two letters.

WAGNER PICKED TO FINISH 11TH IN THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
Head coach Dan Hurley won't be short on motivation in this his first year at Wagner. In this the NEC's 30h season the league's 12 coaches predicted the new-look Wagner College Seahawks to finish 11th in the 12-team league.

After capturing its first-ever Northeast Conference (NEC) regular season crown a year ago, Quinnipiac was picked unanimously to win the 2010-11 NEC men's basketball championship, based on voting conducted by the league's head coaches.

Two-time defending NEC Tournament champion Robert Morris was tabbed second, followed by Long Island in third. Central Connecticut State was picked fourth, ahead of Mount St. Mary's in fifth and Fairleigh Dickinson in the sixth spot. St. Francis (NY) and Saint Francis (PA) tied for seventh in the poll, and were followed by Sacred Heart in ninth, Monmouth in 10th, Wagner in 11th and Bryant in 12th. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own team.

INJURY UPDATE
Wagner freshman forward Josh Daniell will miss tonight's game after having surgery on his right ring finger and is expected to return shortly.

CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE GAME?
The Wagner College athletic department will once again provide live web streaming for its home men's and women's basketball games throughout the 2010-2011 season. To sign up for a single game or season package, click on the All-Access icon on the front page of the athletics website. Fans can watch single games for $7.95 or purchase a season pass for $49.95. A complete men's & women's combined season pass is $59.95. Note: All men's and women's home games will be broadcast with the exception of games that are televised as part of the NEC Television package.

HURLEY SIGNS TWO FOR NEXT SEASON
Wagner coach Dan Hurley announced the signing of Marcus Burton (Matthews, NC / David W. Butler) and forward Mario Moody (Orange, NJ / East Orange Campus) for the 2011-2012 academic year. Both student-athletes will be freshmen and have four years of eligibility.

A 6'0” point guard from North Carolina, Burton averaged 13.7 points and 4.5 assists per game at David W. Butler High School last season under the direction of Kurt Wessler while earning inclusion on the Southwestern 4A All-Conference team. A powerful point guard, Burton has outstanding ball handling skills and can shoot with consistency from beyond the arc.

Burton, who hit a game-winning 40-foot shot against Providence Day High School in a playoff game, led Butler to the school's fourth-straight Southerwestern 4A Conference title a year ago. He also played AAU ball for the Charlotte Royals under the tutelage of Rod Seaford.

A 6'7” forward from New Jersey, Moody averaged 11.5 points, 12.0 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game for East Orange Campus under the guidance of Daron Hoges. Last year as a junior, he helped the Jaguars to a 15-10 record and showcased his outstanding athleticism in a playoff game against Paterson East Side, blocking 12 shots.

Moody, who is an outstanding athlete who can play either the small or power forward position, played AAU ball last summer with Success University Team Izod under the direction of Brian Coleman and Ed Bright.

SEAHAWK BROADCASTING NETWORK
Tonight's game will be broadcast on the Seahawks Broadcasting Network as Jon Barr will deliver the play-by-play and color.

UP NEXT
Wagner is at Lehigh on Monday, November 15 for a 7:00 pm contest with the defending Patriot League champion Mountain Hawks.