Bulldogs will begin season with four freshmen on floor

With only three healthy returning players on his roster, Citadel basketball coach Ed Conroy knew he'd be starting some freshmen this season. The only question was, how many?

The answer, at least for tonight's season opener against Division III opponent Daniel Webster at McAlister Field House, is four.

Senior center Demetrius Nelson will be surrounded by rookies in guards Cameron Wells and Zach Urbanus and forwards Austin Dahn and Phillip Pandak when the 2007-08 season tips off tonight.

With 13 freshmen eager to get their college careers under way — and a rash of upsets already in the books, including Division II Findlay's exhibition win over Ohio State and Gardner-Webb's season-opening victory at Kentucky — Conroy is hoping his young players aren't too jacked up tonight.

"We've talked to our guys about that," Conroy said. "They are excited, but you can get too amped up. Opening night is always special, but with so many young players, this one is even more so.

"When you've only been practicing against yourself and then you get in a game and see something different, it can freeze you. And then you throw in a bunch of guys who have no game experience, we have to be able to adjust to whatever we see and not panic."

As the only starter who's ever scored a point for the Bulldogs, the 6-8, 250-pound Nelson will be the focus of the offense, at least early in the season. The senior from St. John's High School averaged nine points and four rebounds in 21 minutes per game last year.

But Conroy said this team, despite its youth, might be a little more versatile than last year's 7-23 club.

"Obviously, we'll focus on Demetrius a little more," he said. "But I think we've got some more guards that we can post up, kind of like we did with Kevin Hammack last year. And we've got some guys who maybe can do a few more things off the dribble than we did last year."

In the backcourt, Wells and Urbanus are both from Texas, while the 6-4 Dahn and the 6-6 Pandak played together at Fork Union Military Academy along with 6-8 forward Austin Steed (South Carolina) and 6-1 guard Donovan Monroe (College of Charleston).

Their first test will be against a Division III team that also has 13 freshmen in Daniel Webster, a school of about 1,200 students in Nashua, N.H. The Eagles were 6-18 a year ago and have a new coach in former assistant Jeremy Currier.

Daniel Webster is facing D-I competition for the first time this season, with games against The Citadel and Dartmouth on the schedule.

But the Bulldogs' competition will ratchet up immediately, with a trip to South Carolina on Monday and a visit from freshman phenom OJ Mayo and Southern Cal next Thursday.