In the second year of the men's basketball team's extreme makeover, the season lies firmly in the hands of coach Brian Meehan's talented 2004 recruitment class. Last season, the new recruits led the team to its best finish in ten years. Sporting four rookie recruits along with the seven second-years and just one third-year, Ido Givon '07, a transfer, the questions abound: How will young guards Florian Rexhepi '08 and Kwame Graves-Fulgham '08 perform in their second season? Who will step up and fill the on-and-off-court voids left by the leading scorer and rebounder Bryan Lambert '05? And, most importantly, are these younger and less experienced Judges up to the task of getting over the hump and becoming a force in the UAA conference?

"The sophomore class is the key," Meehan said. "They have a year under their belt, and that's the best we have, so they have to be the guys to lead us."

Meehan said the Judges will look to intensify the fast break style of play that brought success last year.

"In all the games we played well in last year, you could see that we were able to run the ball and open it up a little bit more," Meehan said.

But Meehan cautions that the team's success depends heavily on its ability to improve defensively.

"Without being able to defend consistently you don't get a chance to run consistently," he said. "First we have to defend and rebound, and the running game will take care of itself."

Much of the team's success depends on overcoming the loss of Lambert, who led the team last season with an average 16.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Six-foot-eleven center John Saucier '08 will play a critical role in filling that void.

Saucier was hampered by a knee injury that hurt his mobility and cost him playing time last season, but Meehan said Saucier has shown promise.

"In the early preseason he's shown great improvement with his footwork and his offensive game," Meehan said.

Meehan added that he does not expect Saucier to completely replace Lambert.

"We aren't going to make up for Lambert's loss with one guy," Meehan said. "It's going to be a group effort."

However, Saucier certainly doesn't lack confidence.

"It's going to be tough to fill Lambert's shoes, but luckily I wear a size 20."

While the team will look to Saucier for defense and boards, expect the bulk of the Judges' scoring to come from the outside. Florian Rexhepi '08, last season's UAA Rookie of the Year with an average of 12.7 points per game, and point guard Kwame Graves-Fulgham '08 are the two players who Meehan has entrusted with this fast break offense.

"Even last year there were times when our team looked to [Rexhepi] to score big baskets or to generate some sort of a spark to get us going," Meehan said. "We need [Graves-Fulgham] as a second-year point guard to really become a vocal leader and direct us."

"I have to try to get everyone involved," Graves-Fulgham said. "When everyone gets involved, everyone plays better as a whole, and I make myself better as well."

Perhaps the most intriguing variable for the Judges this season is their four off-season recruits. Meehan said Michael Dong '09, a six-foot-nine rookie center from Beijing, China, has a chance to complement Saucier's defense with his refined offensive skills in the low post.

"Mike is more of an offensive big man," Meehan said. "Offensively, in the post he's very tough; but his biggest weakness right now is team defense."

Meehan hopes Kevin Olson '09 will also provide additional scoring punch.

"He's the best shooter we've brought in," Meehan said. "When teams try to zone us or sag, and when the interior people get better, [Olson] is going to be the guy we need to open the game up from the outside."

However, Olson's development has also been slowed by a preseason hamstring injury.

Another dynamic young point guard, rookie Huston Conti '09, may see significant action alongside Rexhepi and Graves-Fulgham.

"He's an excellent defender for a freshman and a very good shooter," Meehan said of Conti. "He's different from [Graves-Fulgham] and he will give us a different look when he's in the game."

After finishing with a 14-11 overall record last season, but going 5-7 on the road, winning close games and winning on the road will determine if the Judges become UAA contenders.

"To win on the road, you have to have experience," Meehan said. "We have to be able to deal with adversity and hostile crowds."

The Judges' inexperience may show at times this season, and with such potential comes pressure.

But for now, Meehan continues to stress the fundamentals; practice hard, stay patient and let the rest take care of itself.

"We have to have patience and understand that there is a lot of growth left to do," Meehan said. "They are still young; the best is yet to come.