BUFFALO, N.Y. – Selflessness, accountability, and family is the theme for the 2024-25 D'Youville University men's basketball as they gear up for the start of the season this Friday.
 
"Our goal for this team is to be the most selfless group we can possibly be," said third-year head coach Andy Stark. "We want a group that can hold one another accountable and become family. One of our biggest goals is to build a mentality that we are prepared and going to win every single game we play. This is a group that was picked eighth out of nine in the preseason so we are excited to work every day to change that narrative."
 
 
The Saints are coming off a 7-20 season a year ago and finished eighth in the East Coast Conference with a record of 4-12. DYU returns seven players from last year's team including the team's leading scorer and rebounder, Trayton Trice (Romeoville, Ill./Romeoville), and the team's leader in assists, Noah Hutchins (Buffalo, N.Y./IMG Academy). Stark has also seen improvement from the other returners and will look to get the team off on the right foot.
 
"We have had a lot of guys that have stepped up from last year," Stark said. "Nelson St. Louis (Port St. Lucie, Fla./Port St. Lucie) has taken on a great leadership role. Trayton is healthy again so that is a very welcomed sight. Renard Fontes-Jules (Brockton, Mass./Olympus Sports Academy) has matured greatly and is someone we depend on to defend at a championship level. Dawson Matsell (Hamilton, Ontario/Orangeville Prep) and Kevin Thompson (Buffalo, N.Y./Bishop Timon-St. Jude) are two guys that compete relentlessly and can have impact on every game."
 
In terms of newcomers, the Saints have nine new players which include five freshmen and four transfers. The new faces will be relied upon early and often as they look to mess with the returners.
 
"We basically have a brand-new team," said Stark. "Honestly, all of our new guys have settled in nicely. I am so impressed by the level that Kayden Wells (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnetonka) and Lucus Brown (Salamanca, N.Y./Salamanca) are playing at. You can tell why their high school programs won a ton of games. They were both coached very well."
 
DYU will start the season with a four-game road trip, beginning with the ECC/CACC Tip-Off Challenge, where they face Goldey-Beacom College on Friday and Wilmington University on Saturday.