Men's Basketball Opens 2015-16 Campaign Friday in Virginia
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Sitting on the cusp of a milestone 200th victory, Joseph Cocozello returns to the sidelines for his 14th season as head coach of the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's basketball team, leading the Bears into new territory as they will compete in the Skyline Conference this season.
Over his first 13 seasons, the seven-time HVIAC Coach of the Year has compiled a 199-173 mark, collecting three HVIAC championships and six United States Collegiate Athletic Association National Championship appearances. The Bears, who finished 18-10 last season, with a 2-1 mark against their future conference rivals, were picked to finish eighth in the Skyline Conference preseason coaches poll released last week.
Cocozello will turn to the senior leadership of forward Michael Megafu and guard Matt O'Neill to lead a team that returns three starters and features seven seniors and six new faces. Megafu averaged 15.7 points and 10.0 rebounds per game en route to securing USCAA All-American Second Team and All-HVIAC Team honors. O'Neill had a breakout season, finishing third on the team in scoring with 13.3 points and leading the squad with 4.6 assists and 3.2 steals per game in receiving All-HVIAC and All-Association of Division III Independents Second Team accolades.
The Bears will open the season on Friday in Salem, Virginia at the Dick Leftwich V-Foundation Classic. SJC will play two of their four non-conference games this season facing Ferrum College in the opening round with a Saturday matchup against either host Roanoke College or University of Dallas.
Upon returning from the Old Dominion state, SJC will begin Skyline Conference play and open their second season at The Hill Center—where they enjoyed a 9-1 mark last year—welcoming Mount Saint Mary College on Tuesday, Nov. 24. In addition to the Knights, the Bears will play a home-and-home series against the 11-team league—preseason No. 1 Sage College, SUNY Old Westbury, sibling rivals SJC Long Island, Farmingdale State, Maritime College, College of Mount Saint Vincent, Purchase College, Sarah Lawrence College and Yeshiva University.
Highlighting the home slate is the SJC Brooklyn vs. Long Island matchup (Jan. 7), Alumni Day Doubleheader vs. Purchase (Jan. 20), a crosstown non-conference rivalry vs. Brooklyn College (Feb. 9) and Senior Night vs. Maritime (Feb. 17).
Rounding out the non-conference schedule is a road tilt against Brooklyn foes Medgar Evers College (Jan. 18).
The top six teams will qualify for the Skyline Conference Tournament—beginning on Tuesday, February 23—to compete for the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Championships.