Mansfield University (11/17)

Location: Mansfield, Pa.

Nickname: Mountaineers

Colors: Red and black

Enrollment: 3,500

2007-08 record: 17-10

Facts:

– The school opened as Mansfield Classical Seminary in 1857 and underwent several name changes over the years before becoming Mansfield University in 1983.

– The Mountaineers play in the Eastern Division of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, and they finished fifth in the conference last season. They have been eliminated from conference play on the last day of the regular season in each of the past two seasons after making the playoffs the four years previous to that. They are once again ranked fifth in the conference this season according to the PSAC preseason coaches’ poll.

– The team defeated Bowie State, 85-70, on Dec. 21, 2007. Bowie State is the university where Binghamton head coach Kevin Broadus played from 1983 to 1986, earning all-rookie conference honors in 1984.

The Mountaineers’ top three scorers from 2007-08 graduated, leaving senior Chris Greene (9.9 points per game) as the team’s lone senior and their top returning scorer. In addition to Greene, the team includes six juniors and six players that started games at some point last season. In terms of underclassmen, freshman forward Tony Fannick was named PIAA AAA player of the year in his junior year of high school and figures to be a presence on the court. The team does have some size, as forwards Cory Boone and Brandon Smith are both 6 feet 8 inches, taller than most of the Bearcats. They are known as one of the top offensive teams in the PSAC, finishing in the top three in the conference in scoring in each of the past five seasons.

Head coach Rich Miller has compiled a 40-42 record over his three seasons at Mansfield and is joined on the bench by his father Rich Miller Sr., a legendary high school coach in Pennsylvania. Miller Sr. was also a basketball coach at the collegiate level at Penn State-Capital from 1989 to 1991.

Players to watch:

Chris Greene, G — senior: Greene, a 5-foot-8-inch guard, has started for three straight seasons and ranked second in the PSAC in 3-point percentage (42.6 percent), sixth in assists (4.08 apg) and ninth in steals (2.0 spg).

Ryan Callahan, G — junior: Callahan was one of the top six men in the conference last season, coming off the bench in all 27 of Mansfields’ games, averaging 9.1 points. He ranked 10th in the PSAC in free throw percentage (75.0 percent) and 13th in 3-point field goal percentage (38.4 percent).