The Trinity College men's basketball team looks to continue its string of eight consecutive winning seasons in 2001-02, after finishing with an 18-6 record and returning to the post-season as the top seed in the inaugural New England Small College Athletic Conference Championship Tournament last winter. The Bantams, coached by Stan Ogrodnik (21^st season, 333-141) hosted the affair but fell short in its bid for a third NCAA Championship in the last four years with a loss in the final game.

Senior tri-captains Colin Tabb (Somers, Conn.), an All-American candidate, and Bryan Dion (East Haven, Conn.) give Trinity two of the top forwards in the New England region. Tabb was an All-NESCAC and an All-ECAC New England selection last season, after leading Trinity in scoring (18.2 ppg) and rebounding (7.0 rpg). The swingman leads the team by example; scoring the ball from anywhere on the floor and playing with 100% intensity at all times. Dion, a 6-foot-6, athletic and versatile player, can dominate the game offensively and defensively. With abilities ranging from guarding opposing centers in the post to bringing the ball up the court against a press, he allows Coach Ogrodnik several options during the course of a game.

Swingmen Jarod Greene (New Haven, Conn.), a 6-foot-5 senior and a tremendous leaper, and junior Ryan Uszenski (Woodbridge, N.J.), an excellent athlete who can also shoot from the outside, are proven veterans, while 6-foot-5 senior Rick Hein (Bolton, Conn.) has improved steadily over his career in the post. All three will be in the mix for a starting position this season. Junior forward Corey Days (Baltimore, Md.), along with talented 6-5 twin newcomers Darren Baker (Lakehurst, N.J.) and Dion Baker (Lakehurst, N.J.), and 6-6 freshman center Jim Bebry (Farmingdale, N.Y.), give Coach Ogrodnik depth in the frontcourt.

Senior point guard Matt Jones (Meriden, Conn.), who emerged as a defensive force and a dangerous three-point shooter in 2000-01, is the top backcourt returnee. Sophomore shooting guard Shaun Smyth (Manchester, Conn.) will compete for playing time with top freshman guard prospects Jesse Farrell (Minneapolis, Minn) and John Halas (White Plains, N.Y.).

With Tabb and Dion representing two of the top players in the league, the Bantams have plenty of reason to expect to contend for the NESCAC Championship title once again. Coach Ogrodnik, who will once again welcome a standout recruiting class, states, "The success of the recent seasons, particularly coming so close to the NCAA’s last March, should only help us in 2001-02. The continued development and maturity of the returning veterans will determine the fate of this group. It is vital that we work hard and continue with the same commitment that has characterized our program through the years."