Men’s Basketball Tips Off 76th Season at Babson Invitational

SUFFOLK vs. COAST GUARD
Date Time Venue Video Stats Series Last Meeting   Last Suffolk Win Streak	Saturday, Nov. 6 8:00 PM Staake Gymnasium Babson Park, Mass. Babson Sports Network GoSuffolkRams.com Suffolk Trails, 1-2 Jan. 27, 1990, L, 86-76 Jan. 28, 1989, 95-88 L1

SUFFOLK at BABSON
Date Time Venue Video Stats Series Last Meeting   Last Suffolk Win Streak	Sunday, Nov. 7 4:00 PM Staake Gymnasium Babson Park, Mass. Babson Sports Network GoSuffolkRams.com Suffolk Trails, 15-34 Nov. 10, 2019, L, 97-70 Jan. 12, 2006, 80-76 (ot) L1

BOSTON – Suffolk men's basketball pulls the curtain back on its 2021-22 season at the Babson Invitational this weekend where it will face Coast Guard and tournament host Babson. The Rams season debut is set for Saturday, Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. against the Bears and the weekend wraps up against the Beavers the next day, Sunday, Nov. 7 at 4 p.m.

SOCIAL SAYINGS
Ram Nation has a chance to keep up with all the latest news and notes on Suffolk Athletics, its student-athletes and teams by following the Rams on  Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Fans are encouraged to use the hashtag #RamNation a behind-the-scene look at Suffolk Athletics.

SUFFOLK ATHLETICS 2021-22 FAN POLICY
Suffolk University Athletics, following guidance from the University's health and safety protocols, Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), Centers for Disease Control and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, plans to allow fans to attend home athletic contests during the 2021-22 academic and athletic year.

Fans, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, can attend games. They must be masked the entire time they are on campus, pursuant to institutional policy, and complete a health screening form at the security desk of each building upon arrival. This policy applies to home contests played on campus at the Ridgeway Building's Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court, as well as the Emmons Horrigan O'Neil Memorial Rink and the Louis E. Porrazzo Memorial Skating Rink.

For outdoor outings, specifically at East Boston Memorial Park, fans are asked to respect COVID safety protocols. At this time, masks will not be mandated for fans no matter vaccinated status at outdoor venues.

MORE READING: Suffolk Athletics Announces Fan Policy for 2021-22

RAMS REWIND
Suffolk's typical slate was cancelled a year ago due to COVID-19. The Rams were able to get a shortened eight-game season in though and compiled a 6-2 record. The pair of the blue-and-gold setbacks were by a combined six points.

RAMS RETURNERS
Although Suffolk's 15-player roster is primarily newcomers with new true freshmen, the returners that the Rams brought back have a wealth of experience.

Graduate student Nate Hale opted to play his fifth-year at Suffolk after producing a team-best 21.5 ppg. He added 2.6 apg on the offensive end and chipped in 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals to the defensive.

Starters senior William Rowe (11.4 ppg, 8.9 rpg) and junior Aidan Sullivan (7.8 ppg, 5.4 apg) are back as well.

Senior Connor Creane (4.8 ppg) and junior John Gates (7.3 ppg) will be called upon to play larger roles this year with Kobie Reid back after taking last campaign off. 

RAMS ROOKIES
Jeff Juron, head coach of Suffolk men's basketball, has brought in his largest recruiting class to date as nine members of the Class of 2021 have been added to the Rams' roster for the 2021-22 campaign.

The group, all true freshman, is comprised of five guards, one forward, and a trio of swing players. They will add depth to Suffolk's squad that brings back seven letterwinners from a year ago and looks to make a name for itself in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC).

MORE READING: Nine Newcomers to Boost Men's Basketball in 2021-22

GEOGRAPHY 101
Suffolk's geographical makeup spreads five states and two countries.

Eight Rams are Bay State locals, two come from Connecticut and New York, respectively. New Hampshire and Virginia are represented by one Ram apiece.

Kobie Reid stamped his passport to come to Beantown from Bermuda. 

CLASS CATEGORIES
The Rams ranks feature an underclassmen heavy roster with nine true freshmen, however there are no sophomores. A trio hail from the junior class with a pair of seniors and one graduate student.

POSTION PIECES
Nine of Suffolk's players are primarily guards with two true forwards and a quartet of swing players.

RAMS RINGLEADERS
Suffolk men's basketball will be led by a quartet of upperclassmen in 2021-22 as head coach Jeff Juron announced that graduate student Nate Hale, seniors Conor Creane and William Rowe and junior Aidan Sullivan will all captain the Rams this season. 

MORE READING: Foursome to Captain Men's Basketball in 2021-22

COACH'S COURT
Jeff Juron, returns to the bench for his seventh season at the helm of the Rams.

Over six seasons at Suffolk, Juron has helped Suffolk to new heights highlighted by four consecutive winning seasons and a 53-34 (.609) record in that span.

The Rams wrapped up the team's tenure in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) as one of the most potent program's in the league highlighted by its 2018-19 run that saw Suffolk finish in first place in the regular season and 18 overall victories, the most since 1975-76.

Two years later, Juron led the Rams into a new era, Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC). Despite a COVID condensed campaign in 2020-21, the blue-and-gold tied for the highest winning percentage amongst CCC opponents at .750 (6-2).

Back on Juron's staff is long-time assistant Dana Harris with Joe Sharkey back on the sideline for his third season. Chris Lydon has joined the fray for his first campaign.

WATCH AND SEE

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
Ushering in a new era for the program after arguably its most successful stretch in program history in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC), the Suffolk men's basketball program made its first-ever appearance in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Coaches' Preseason Poll in third place a vote by the league's 10 head coaches.

MORE READING: Men's Basketball Debuts Third in CCC Coaches' Preseason Poll

LIFT THE LID

• Since 1967-68 Suffolk is 24-29 in the first game of the season.
• The Rams have lifted the lid in the win column in four straight seasons, including last year's 97-84 decision over Nichols.
• The blue-and-gold is 4-2 in the season opener in the Jeff Juron era.
• The Rams will open their campaign away from home for the third straight season.
• Suffolk lifts the lid on its campaign for the 19th time at a neutral site, first since 2019-20, and are 7-11 when playing on an impartial court in game one.
• On day one at home Suffolk is 6-4 and the Rams hold a 6-11 road mark in its season debut.
• Prior to the 1976-77 campaign, the location of Suffolk's season opener was undisclosed with the Rams going 5-4 through those contests. 

BEARS BREAKDOWN
Coast Guard's campaign in 2020-21 consisted of just one game, a 91-68 win over Mitchell. Two years back, the Bears captured the NEWMAC Championship as the fifth seed and went on to participate in the 2020 NCAA Tournament. 

Upperclassmen will look to lead Coast Guard this year especially seniors Tyler Perez (10.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg), Garrett Drummond (10.4 ppg, 2.9 apg) and Jack Brunswick.

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Suffolk and Coast Guard renew a rivalry, meeting for the fourth time overall, first since 1990.
• The Rams trail the all-time series, 1-2.
• Suffolk's first and only win over the Bears came via a 95-88 decision Jan. 28, 1989.
• The teams last met Jan. 17, 1990. Coast Guard won that outing, 86-76.

EYES ON THE GAME
 

BEAVERS BITS
Babson made a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2020 and brings back 11 players including four of the top six scorers from last season's squad that went 8-10 in its COVID condensed campaign.

James Welch (14.5 ppg), Colin Brandanese (13.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg), Andrew Kirkpatrick (9.7) and Aaron Gao (7.5 ppg) are the biggest returning threats for the Beavers line-up that will receive a spark from graduate transfers Mitchell Kirsch and Spencer Cline. Kirsch started his collegiate career at Claremont McKenna, while Cline went to Saint Anselm. Head coach Stephen Brennan brought in five true freshmen as well to boost Babson's squad. 

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Suffolk and Babson will battle for the 50th time Sunday.
• The Rams trial the all-time series with the Beavers, 15-34.
• Babson won the last tangle between the foes, 97-70, on day two of the 2019 Babson Invitational Nov. 10, 2019.
• Suffolk's last win over the Beavers came in over, 80-76, Jan. 12, 2006.
• The blue-and-gold and Babson have gone into overtime three times, one outing needed two extra sessions to decide a winner, the 1988-89, meeting that ended 103-101 in the Beavers' favor.
• Suffolk is 1-2 in OT outings against Babson.
• The Rams are 0-1 versus Babson under Jeff Juron's guidance.

EYES ON THE GAME

WHAT'S AHEAD?
Suffolk will have close to a dozen days to prep for its home opener, a Thursday, Nov. 18 tangle against Tufts. Tip-off at Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court is scheduled for 7 p.m.