FROSTBURG, Md. – With the 2013-14 season squarely in the rearview mirror, 16^th-year Frostburg State head men's basketball coach Webb Hatch is optimistic that his team can overcome the difficulties of a year ago and move up the standings in the ever tough Capital Athletic Conference.
 
Last season, the Bobcats battled injuries from start to finish and struggled to gain traction in the win column. This year is a different story through preseason and Hatch likes how his team is progressing.
 
"We should be much better offensively as we are very unselfish," noted Hatch. "Our young players are adjusting quickly to the college game and our returning players are starting to figure out our schemes a little better."

Senior Tyler Campbell

 
The Bobcats return five of their top seven scorers that combined for over 1,000 points last season and a combined 475 rebounds. While Frostburg returns plenty of scoring, Hatch and his staff still feel that the team can improve on its rebounding after finishing third in the league two years ago.
 
"We are a longer team this year and that should help us with both our defending and rebounding," added Hatch. "We are a work in progress in both areas, but I feel we are improving every day in practice."
 
FSU boasts eight players over 6-3, including a pair of 6-7 post players. With that kind of size, Frostburg should once again become one of the top rebounding and defensive teams in the CAC.
 
Leading the way this year for Frostburg will be a core group of four seniors.
 
Senior post player Jabari Kamau is the squad's lone four-year senior and he has stepped into a leadership role in his final season. Kamau has 490 points and 393 rebounds over his career, but posted a breakout junior season where he led the Bobcats in scoring (300 pts.) and rebounds (184). He also tied for the team lead with 13 blocks and was second with 25 steals.

Senior James Peters

 
Senior shooting guard James Peters is an explosive player on the offensive end and could factor in the CAC scoring title if he can stay healthy. He averaged 16.7 ppg in 15 games, but over the final nine games, he increased his scoring average to 23.6 ppg. The final nine games also included three games with 30 or more points scored, including a season-high 34 at Salisbury.
 
Arguably the team's quickest player, junior shooting guard Nick Smoot, was Frostburg's third leading scorer from a year ago after averaging 11.6 points per contest. He led the team with 28 steals and finished second on the team in three-pointers (25) and assists (39).
 
Joining Kamau in the post will be fellow senior Tyler Campbell, who averaged 6.2 ppg and 5.0 rebounds per game as a junior. A vocal defensive leader, Campbell has impressed the coaching staff with his focus this fall and is expected to have a larger offensive role this season.
 
Juniors David Patrick and Shawn Henson both return to the team after missing the 2013-14 season with injuries after seeing significant time in 2012-13. Patrick enters the season with the most experience at point guard after leading the team with 71 assists in 2012-13, while Henson scored 84 points and knocked down 12 three-pointers that same season.

Junior David Patrick

 
Frostburg opens its 2014-15 campaign this Saturday at Bethany (W.Va.) at 7:00 pm.