For the Mount St. Mary's men's basketball program, the past two seasons have produced tremendous accomplishments for the hard work put in by the coaches and players to build the program.  Head coach Milan Brown's 2009-10 Mountaineers hope to build on that success to maintain its spot as one of the top teams in the Northeast Conference.

Brown and his team realize that maintaining that success can only be done through continued work.  "We are looking to continue to build on our success from the past two seasons," said Brown.  "We understand that it will take a lot of hard work, not only to maintain where we've been at, but to even surpass it.  Everyone is excited about the work we need to put in to see how good we can be."

Over the past two seasons, the Mount has appeared in back-to-back NEC championship games, winning the title in 2008, made consecutive postseason appearances (NCAA in 2008 and CollegeInsider.com in 2009) for the first time in 13 seasons, and has won 38 games, matching the best two-year period in the DI era at the school.

The success has given the Mount a higher profile in the college basketball world as the team has appeared on television 19 times over the past two years.  Combined with an aggressive non-conference schedule, Mount St. Mary's has had plenty of chances to show how far the program has progressed.

"Our recent success has given our program some great exposure," said Brown.  "Hopefully we can continue to build in a positive direction, which will allow more people to see what type of program we have."

Defense has been a key to the Mount's rise to the top of the conference.  The Mountaineers have evolved into the top defensive unit in the NEC, leading the conference in scoring defense (63.0) and field goal percentage defense (.419) last season.  Over the past two years, the Mount has held the opposition under 70 points in 49 of the team's 67 games, posting an impressive 35-14 record in those contests.

"Again, a main focus for us is to be a good defensive team," said Brown.  "We have made being a good defensive team one of the staples of our program, and hopefully with the speed and athleticism we have on the court, that side of the ball will again be a positive for us."

Offensively, the Mount is looking to become a little faster at that end of the court.  Last season, the Mountaineers shot 45.1 percent from the floor, the highest field goal percentage by a Mount team in 17 years, but saw its scoring average dip by just over a point from the previous season.

"We are going to see if we can go a notch faster than we did last year on the offensive end," said Brown.  "I think we possess enough bodies to play quick on offense.  Hopefully, getting up and down the floor will lead to easy baskets and an even higher field goal percentage for us."

A big challenge for the Mount in 2009-10 will be replacing the frontcourt with the graduation of starters Sam Atupem and Markus Mitchell.  Sixth-man Shawn Atupem will step into his older brother's starting role, but the remaining forwards on the roster have limited experience at the collegiate level.

"Shawn Atupem will be the catalyst for us in the post and we are looking for him to do big things this year.  Around him, we have a group of guys who are athletic, have good size, but are untested," said Brown.  " I like what we have in the frontcourt.  Their biggest areas they need to focus on are the ability to compete every day, rebounding the basketball, and finishing around the basket."

Leading the way for the Mount is Player of the Year candidate Jeremy Goode.  The speedy point guard has led the Mount in scoring in each of the past two seasons and needs just 59 assists this season to break the school's all-time record.  Goode averaged 14.9 points last season while leading the team with 134 assists and 62 steals.  He also improved his three-point shooting from 29.9 percent his sophomore season to 37.2 percent last year.  A senior, Goode has started 94 of 97 career games played at the Mount, accumulating 1,283 points, 471 assists and 183 steals in his career.

"We are excited about the upcoming season for Jeremy," said Brown.  "We think he should be in line to have a very good year.  It seems like he's been here forever, and hopefully that experience along with his speed and quickness will cause the opponents some problems this season.  He'll be a marked man and he understands that.  He is ready for that challenge, as are his teammates."

Sophomore Lamar Trice will serve as Goode's backup at the point this season.  Trice had some growing pains last year as a freshman, but the experience he gained will be beneficial for the Mount in 2009-10.  Trice appeared in 21 games last year, averaging 0.5 points and 0.7 assists in 58 minutes of action.  A traditional point guard, he has the ability to play fast and create for his teammates.

"I have been impressed with the work that Lamar is putting in during the offseason.  He understands that we need him to be a contributor this season and I am excited to see what he can bring to us," said Brown.  "He will be one of the keys that will allow us to continue to play faster and pressure the ball defensively for a longer period of time."

The Mount is arguably the deepest and most experienced team in the NEC at the wing positions.  Starters Jean Cajou and Kelly Beidler along with Will Holland and Pierre Brown give head coach Milan Brown plenty of options at the shooting guard and small forward positions.  Athletic freshman David Golladay will also be in the mix at the wing spot as well.

Cajou, who was named Second Team All-District by the NABC last year after averaging 12.6 points and 3.5 rebounds, is one of the top defenders in the conference.  Cajou's ability to lock down the opponent's top scoring wing is a big part of the Mount's team defense.  Opponents however can't forget about Cajou at the other end of the court where he scored in double figures in 25 of the Mount's 33 games.

"We will again look to Jean to be a shutdown defender for us," said Brown.  "He did an excellent job last year on that end of the floor, and we are looking for him to do even more defensively this season.  Offensively, he will be able to stretch the floor with his three-point range in addition to his ability to slash to the basket.  We are not only expecting big things from Jean on the court, but in a leadership role as well."

Beidler, a senior, gives the Mount an added dimension on the wing with his ability to drive the basketball, post up smaller defenders, and stretch the defense with his three-point shot.  The athletic wing averaged 10.9 points and a team-high 6.9 rebounds for the Mount last year, posting six double-doubles on the season.  A versatile player, he was second on the team in assists (69), blocks (22) and steals (42).

"We are hoping that this is the season that Kelly explodes onto the scene as a very good overall player," said Brown.  "There aren't any basketball skills that he doesn't possess and he makes us a versatile team with his size and athleticism.  He should be a huge contributor for us on both ends of the floor.  We are looking for him to again lead us on the boards and his ability to both start and finish on the break will be a key for us this season."

Senior Will Holland returns as the Mount's top guard off the bench.  After starting at the shooting guard spot as a sophomore, Holland made the transition to a sixth-man role last year.  He averaged 4.9 points and 2.3 rebounds on the year while he connected for 24 three-point baskets.  Holland's experience was valuable in the postseason as he scored 11 points in the Mount's NEC semifinal win over Sacred Heart while he tallied 10 points in the Mount's loss to James Madison in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT).

"Will has done a great job of working to get his body right as far as strength and quickness.  He is one of the strongest players on the team, which allows us to be more physical at the wing position," said Brown.  "We are looking for Will to stretch the defense with his three-point shot.  He understands that the coaching staff has given him the green light to shoot whenever he thinks he has a good shot.  We like his basketball IQ and the toughness he brings to the table.  We are also expecting him to provide senior leadership as well."

Junior Pierre Brown emerged as a solid contributor for the Mount last season, averaging 3.5 points and 1.9 rebounds while converting 55.6 percent from the floor and 50.0 percent from three-point range.  Brown's strength and power give the Mount a different dimension at the wing spot. 

"We are really excited about the progress Pierre has made," said Brown.  "He is one of the hardest workers on the team in addition to being one of our most athletic players.  I really think he will be a big contributor for us by providing a spark off the bench as both a stopper on the defensive end and as an offensive player.  He will fight for more minutes this season and he makes us a really deep team on the perimeter."

Freshman David Golladay averaged 16.0 points last season at Wise High School, earning honorable mention All-Met honors by the Washington Post.  Golladay is an athletic player with the ability to get to the basket as well as pull up and hit the jumper.

"We are looking forward to David bringing his speed and athleticism to the wing position.  Obviously he has things he needs to learn, but he is a talented player with a bright future at the Mount," said Brown.  "He has a good mid-range pull-up game and can slash to the basket as well.  He is a very good passer and fits in well with how we play."

The Mountaineers will have six players battling for playing time in the frontcourt.  Junior Shawn Atupem is expected to be one of the starters while junior Tayvon Jackson has the inside track to the other starting spot.  Sophomore Danny Thompson, redshirt freshman Jacolby Wells and true freshmen Raven Barber and Kristijan Krajina will all be challenging for minutes in the frontcourt as well.

Atupem was the Mount's top frontcourt scorer last season, averaging 9.6 points and 3.5 rebounds in 24.0 minutes off the bench.  The athletic Atupem creates mismatches with his ability to beat bigger defenders off the dribble.  He also possesses a wide array of low-post moves that helped him shoot an efficient 53.6 percent from the floor last season.

"We are looking for Shawn to have a huge impact on the team this season," said Brown.  "We are extremely happy with the progress he has made over the past two seasons.  With increased minutes and a bigger role within the offense, Shawn will be one of the top options on the offensive end.  He'll be a tough guard for anyone 15 feet and in with his size and athletic ability.  He can finish at the rim and we are looking for him to get to the free throw line for us this season as well."

Jackson, who averaged 0.8 points and 0.9 rebounds in 24 games last season, is an athletic post who can block shots and attack the glass. He has gained valuable experience the past two years working against the Atupem brothers and Mitchell in practice.  He also possess a nice touch from the perimeter with his jump shot.

"I was impressed with the work ethic and activity Tayvon showed toward the end of last season," said Brown.  "He has waited his turn the past two years and we are excited that he will be fighting not only for increased minutes, but a starting spot in the lineup.  He has the ability to contribute with his rebounding and shot-blocking.  A big thing for Tayvon this year will be his ability to be active within our system.  He should gel with how we play.  Despite not playing a lot his first two years, we look at Tayvon as a veteran guy and we are happy he is getting an opportunity."

Sophomore Danny Thompson, who has battled the injury bug the past two years, will be vying for minutes in the frontcourt as well.  He adds a physical dimension to the Mount frontcourt and he possesses great hands.  Thompson appeared in eight games last season, averaging 0.8 rebounds in limited minutes.

"Danny made great progress last season coming back not only from his ACL injury, but a broken foot as well.  He's not quite back to the Danny we recruited out of high school, but he is very close," said Brown.  "He has the best hands of all of our post players and he will help us in both rebounding and by providing a physical presence in the paint.  As he continues to get healthy, he will also be able to contribute by blocking shots."

Wells sat out last season as a redshirt.  An athletic player, he has developed a solid jump shot to go with his ability to finish above the rim.  He will be battling for minutes in the frontcourt as well for the Mount this season.

"Jacolby made great strides during his redshirt season as far as how he competed and also getting to know our system both offensively and defensively," said Brown.  "He is our most-athletic post player with a good touch around the basket.  He will be able to run the floor and also be able to block some shots for us.  He has the ability to contribute on both the offensive and defensive glass.  He will need to continue to get stronger, however, we like his future."

Barber, a 6-8 forward, averaged 8.4points while earning honorable mention All-Met honors by the Washington Post at Paul VI High School last year.   He will give the Mount a physical presence in the post with the ability to block shots and convert at the rim.

"Raven gives us another big body under the basket.  He possesses more offensive skill than he has been able to show, and with continued skill development, we can hopefully bring more out of him on that end of the floor," said Brown.  "We are looking for him early in the season to rebound the basketball, block shots and stretch the defense a little bit with his jump shot.  He also has very good hands."

Krajina is a 6-9 forward with strong perimeter skills.  He averaged 13 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks per game for the Blue Ridge School in Virginia before suffering a season-ending ACL injury in January.  He scored a season-best 27 points against Flint Hill and had a 14-rebound game against the Greenfield School.  He is expected to be ready to play for the upcoming season.

"Kristijan will be our most perimeter-oriented post player with his ability to go off the dribble and stretch the defense to the three-point line," said Brown.  "We are going to make sure we take time with his injury, but we feel when he is fully healthy, he will provide us with a legitimate 6-9 skilled athlete on the floor.  Our style of play fits his skill set extremely well."

Walk-ons Kevin Jones and Mike Harvey will also return for the Mount in 2009-10.  Jones, a senior point guard, appeared in nine games last year, while Harvey, a sophomore wing, played in 10 contests.

"We are looking for Kevin and Mike to continue to work hard and push our guys in practice," said Brown. "They are a big asset to the team and we don't expect that to change."

Once again, the Mountaineers will use a challenging non-conference schedule to prepare for the rigors of Northeast Conference play.  Of the Mount's 11 non-conference opponents next season, eight were in the top 100 in the RPI ratings, and all 11 were in the top 200.

The Mount will have three non-conference home games with rival Loyola, Niagara and Vermont visiting Knott Arena.  Road games include Big 12 power Oklahoma, Pittsburgh and Georgetown out of the Big East, Siena, American, Navy, Old Dominion and Boston University.

"Obviously the schedule we have will be very competitive," said Brown.  "Again we are looking for our non-conference schedule to prepare us for Northeast Conference play.  Looking at our schedule, I probably seem a little crazy for schedule such tough games, but our players are very excited to play our schedule.  I'm glad to know they are just as crazy as I am."