ANNVILLE, Pa. - As the LVC men's basketball team returns to the court Tuesday night for the 2011-12 season, confidence should be a non-issue for the reigning ECAC South Tournament champions after their surprising run last season.

The Dutchmen went 23-7 in 2010-11 with an appearance in the Commonwealth Conference title game and an eventual ECAC South championship; LVC also landed tournament wins in the Rinso Marquette Tournament and the Land of Magic Classic.

They open at home Tuesday night at 8 p.m. against York, before hosting the 20th Annual Rinso Marquette Tournament Saturday and Sunday with Rowan, Gallaudet, and Wesley in the bracket.

Losing a handful of seniors who also served as everyday players, including 2010-11 Commonwealth Conference Player of the Year and All-American Anthony Trautman, LVC will definitely have some slack to pick up. But LVC brings back three-year captain and preseason all-American point guard Joe Meehan, and fellow co-captain and classmate Jordan Stewart will work the backcourt with him.

First-team all-CC pick Meehan filled the stat sheets last season, averaging 18.4 ppg and 6.1 apg, both second in the conference (trailing only his teammate Trautman in scoring). He set an LVC single-season record with 64 steals, and ranked 15th in NCAA Division III in assists per game. Meehan was selected to be a part of a D-III all-star team that competed against professional teams in Germany and the Czech Republic this past summer.

Stewart played beyond his size at the guard position, leading the team with 7.0 rebounds per game including nine 10+ rebound games, and he led the league in defensive boards. He also had two double-doubles.  Senior guard Cameron Prince will also be a valuable asset, bringing his share of experience to the floor as he went 18-30 (.600 FG pct.) in field goals last season playing in 12 games.

Junior forward Danny Brooks is poised for big things this season, starting 28 games last season where he shot .510 from the floor and averaged 10.7 ppg (third on the team).

Other contributors include sophomore Joey Giangiobbe, who played in all 30 games in the post as a freshman, and had a career-high 15 points against Delaware Valley in the Marquette Tournament final; Logan Walters, who saw time in nine games as a freshman; junior combo Matt O'Brien, who is looking to be both an offensive and defensive threat after experiencing season-ending injuries the past two years; junior guard Sam Diaz, who played in eight games last season, scoring in three of them; and junior forward David Corbin, who played in seven games last season.

As Head Coach Brad McAlester enters into his 18th season at the helm of the Men's program, he will have three talented freshman - Kevin Agnew, Kevin Donahue, and Luke Berguson - to help the team match and even transcend the high level of play they reached in 2010-11, and McAlester brings in  three upperclass newcomers with sophomores Mike Fasano and Nick Pappas and junior Garrett Kelly joining the team.