Oberlin, Ohio -- The Oberlin College men's basketball team enters its second season under the direction of head coach Shiva Senthil as he aims to guide the Yeomen into the upper echelon of the North Coast Athletic Conference. 

Oberlin went 8-18 overall and 4-12 in the league last year, which featured a signature win over the eventual conference champions - Wooster. However, expectations are even higher heading into this season. 

"We are very excited for this season," Senthil noted. "We have a bunch of guys that are fully bought in on taking the next step as a program. We are a very connected group and every single one of the guys has made strides in their games over the offseason. They are coming in hungry and ready to make a mark this season. " 

Junior point guard Yukki Okubo headlines a deep and talented backcourt as he led the league and finished 12th in the nation with an average of 6.2 assists per game and a 5.3 assist-to-ratio, which was second in the country. Senior Anastasis Spyroglou, who averaged 10.1 points per game a season ago, and the debut of junior Zach Bronson, who missed the previous two seasons with injury, will also bolster the lead guard position. 

Off the ball, the Yeomen have a steady junior duo in Will Bousquette III and Andrew Gannon, who averaged 9.0 and 6.3 points per game, respectively, as sophomores. The coaching staff is also excited by the depth at the guard positions. Sophomore Adam Navarre jumped on the scene late last season and brings some extra physicality to the backcourt, while the experienced Asaan Snipes-Rea and Aidan Miller are poised to be two of the league's elite perimeter defenders. 

First-years, JJ Gray and Finn Horsfall, will join a promising group of sophomores to round out an incredibly deep group of guards.

"We are very fortunate to have a plethora of capable options in the backcourt, both in the lead guard and wing positions," Senthil noted. We bring back some key players who have a lot of experience while at the same time infusing the program with young talented players. I think this will be an exciting group to watch out for."

Senior Dimitrije Radusinovic is the team's top returning scorer from a season ago as he netted 13.3 points per game and scored 20 or more points six times. The Podgorica, Montenegro, native also dropped in 49 3-pointers. Robert Millard, a 6-foot-5, first-year from Dardanelle, Arkansas, should also factor into the forward position.

Sophomore Milun Micanovic has increased his strength as he looks to solidify the center position. The 6-foot-10 Podgorica, Montenegro, native played in 17 games as a rookie, averaging 10.2 minutes a game while posting 4.4 points and 2.4 rebounds. 

Dut Lual, a 7-foot first-year from Trabuco Canyon, California, by way of Sudan, brings great size to the interior and should play a large role on the defensive end. 

"We love the versatility our frontcourt brings," Senthil noted. "We have the ability to be really big or play small-ball depending on the game. This versatility is a luxury for a coaching staff and allows us to be creative when game planning. This is another position where we combine some experience with young talent. Getting the two to mesh will be a key for us, but so far, we have been very happy with the progress."

The Yeomen, who were picked seventh in the NCAC Preseason Poll, will be battle tested early on in the season with eight of their first 10 games coming away from Philips Gym, starting with a November 8 season-opening matchup at Adrian College. The home opener is set for November 15 against a talented Otterbein squad, while the NCAC slate commences two weeks later on November 29 at Wittenberg University. 

"We feel that we have built a schedule that will really challenge us. We are on the road a lot in the non-conference, but we are hoping this prepares us to fight through adversity. The NCAC continues to be one of the best conferences in the country, and we need to make sure that we are battle tested by the time we get into conference play. We believe our schedule will do that."

All fans will be able to watch most games live online while all home games will be carried on the Oberlin Sports Network app powered by HudlTV on any Roku, Amazon Fire, or Apple TV enabled device.