Junior Randall Stallworth returns for his junior campaign after averaging 8.3 points and handing out 135 assists.

Skyhawks Make Pilgrimage To South Bend For Exhibition Tilt
Dave McLaughlin's sixth season as the head coach of Stonehill men's basketball officially opens next Saturday against Queens. The Skyhawks, however, are getting a jump on their preparation with a exhibition matchup up the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame on Sunday, November 9 in South Bend. Notre Dame, coming off of a 25-win season in 2007-08, returns all five starters including AP All-America Luke Hanragody, who led the Big East in scoring (20.4) and rebounding (10.6) a season ago. The Skyhawks meanwhile are bringing back all five starters as well, including leading scorers in Nick Smith and Matt Hall. Stonehill will look to improve on last year's 18-14 campaign, a season that saw the Purple and White average 70 points a game and hold six different opponents under 60 points. The Fighting Irish lead the all-time series 2-0, taking a 1977 meeting 98-70 and a 1982 matchup 74-60.

Lets Get It Started
Stonehill College opens its 2008-09 regular season with a exhibition tilt against Notre Dame.

Rhode Show
The matchup with the Fighting Irish marks the third straight season Stonehill will open its season with an exhibition tilt with a Division I opponent. In the previous two seasons the Skyhawks have tipped off with the University of Rhode Island. 

We Are Family
The College was founded in 1948 by the Congregation of Holy Cross whose members also established Notre Dame in 1842. 

07-08 Redux
The Skyhawks are coming off of an 18-14 season that saw them advance to the Northeast-10 Conference tournament semifinals before being ousted by NCAA Semifinalist, Bentley.

Who Is Still Here
The Skyhawks return all five starters from a season ago, including double figure scorers Matt Hall (Springfield, Mass.) (13.6), Nick Smith (Colonia, N.J.) (13.4) and A.J. Rudowitz (Monroe, Township, N.J.) (12.0). 

Fourth And Short
Stonehill was picked fourth in the 2008-09 Northeast-10 preseason coaches poll.

Dime Dropper
Junior floor general Randall Stallworth (Toms River, N.J.) has 280 career assists in his first 60 games. He is on pace to become the school's all-time assist leader, a mark held by Tom Dean (559).

Irish Eyes Are Smiling
The Fighting Irish have won both prior meetings between the schools: a 98-70 victory in 1977 and a 74-60 decision in 1982.

When Are You Coming To Visit?
In the two previous meetings between Stonehill and the Fighting Irish, both games have taken place in Notre Dame, Ind.

Grand Finale
Senior Nick Smith has 1,196 career points. Matt Hall (628) and A.J. Rudowitz (723) could join him in the 1,000 point club at some point this season.

Homecoming
Stonehill's current Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Brendan Sullivan, is a member of the Notre Dame Class of 2001.

Push ‘Em Back
Beginning with the 2008-09 season the three-point line will be moved back to 20-feet, nine inches, a full foot further than in prior years. The measure was approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Committee.

Lawrence Lawmaker
The Chair of the Playing Rules Oversight Committee is Larry Keating, a member of the Stonehill class of 1966. Keating is currently a Senior Associate Athletic Director at Kansas.

Three For All
Stonehill attempted the third most three-pointers in the Northeast-10 a season ago, launching 717 triples. 

Go Crazy
Randall Stallworth had a night to remember in Stonehill's last contest of the 2007-08 season. He scored a career-high 28 points, all in the second half as the Skyhawks fell to Bentley. During a stretch midway through the final 20 minutes, he scored 18 straight Stonehill points. 

Triple The Fun
In the third game of the 2007-08 season, Stonehill played a triple-overtime affair with Columbus State. The Cougars won 114-113, as both Colin Scanlon (Centreville, Va.) and A.J. Rudowitz each had a career-high 15 rebounds.

Close Quarters
Nick Smith and Matt Hall were neck and neck all season for the team's scoring lead. In the end, they were separated by four points, with Hall netting 434 points to Smith's 430. 

History Lesson
The first coach in Stonehill basketball history was former Notre Dame All-American tackle George Sullivan. The first coach in the history of the program, Sullivan led Stonehill to a 29-7 record in two seasons, including a 15-1 mark in the inaugural season.

McLaughlin's Magic
After taking over midway through the 2003-04 season, Dave McLaughlin led the Skyhawks to back-to-back 20 win seasons for the first time since the early 1980's. Under his tutelage, Stonehill won a school-record 27 games and advanced to the Final Four in 2005-06.

Senior Moment
The Class of 2009 entered Stonehill and immediately advanced to the Final Four and have averaged 20 wins a season during their stay. Matt Hall, Nick Smith, Nikola Stevanovic (Belgrade, Serbia) and Kevin Wilkins (New Windsor, N.Y.) need to win 15 contests to become the winningest class in Stonehill College men's basketball history.

Just The Two Of Us
Although Stonehill has nine seasons with 20 wins or more, only Tom Folliard (1981-82 and 1982-83) and Dave McLaughlin (2004-05 and 2005-06) have done it in consecutive seasons.

Freshman Jitters?
Since Dave McLaughlin became the head coach, Stonehill has produced two players who have landed on the Northeast-10 All-Rookie Team. Current Skyhawks Nick Smith (2005-06) and A.J. Rudowitz (2006-07) have both been honored. In fact, Smith's inaugural campaign was so impressive, he was named Northeast-10 Freshman of the Year and second-team All-Conference.

Sample Size
Over their last 100 games, dating back to a 78-66 win over UMass-Lowell on February 8, 2005, Stonehill has gone 64-36, including a school record 12 game winning streak during the 2005-06 season.

Opening Up
The Skyhawks are 10-6 in November over the past three seasons.

Let The Countdown Begin
Nick Smith has 188 three-pointers in his first three seasons. With 60 three-pointers this season, he would move into second place all-time ahead of Ed Grzembski, a recent inductee into the College's Hall of Fame.

What's Next
Stonehill opens its regular season on November 16 at home against Queens (N.Y.), a team they defeated 93-79 a season ago behind 20 points from Nick Smith and 10 assists from Randall Stallworth.