(Brooklyn, NY)-  For the 2011-2012 seasons, the Cougar Men's Basketball team is looking to build on their accomplishments from last season.  The Cougars posted an 11-3 CUNYAC Regular Season record before defeating Lehman, Hunter, and College of Staten Island to become the CUNYAC Champions, the 2^nd Cougar team to do so since 1992, and earning an automatic bid to the NCAA DIII Men's Basketball Tournament 1^st round.  3^nd year Head Coach Chris Pursoo is expecting nothing less from his squad this year.  “Last year, we weren't very deep, but we worked hard.  This year our players have a lot more experience, and our depth this year will lead to our success.”
      Coach Pursoo will look to his veterans to help the team to return to championship form. With the strong offensive powers of CUNYAC First Team All-Star Jovan Deare (15.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG) and James Gilmore (12.3 PPG), the solid defense of CUNYAC Playoff MVP Junior Winston Douglas (10.0 RPG, 1.8 BLK/G), and the experience of Guard Tony Simms and Forward Robert Johnson  the Cougars look like a true championship caliber team for this up-coming season.
         The Cougars will kick off the season on November 15^th in the Cougar Cave against Rutgers-Newark.  They will then participate in several 2-day tournaments such as the Regis College Tip Off Tournament (Nov 18-19/Weston, MA), GU Holiday Tournament (Nov 26-27/ Washington, D.C), Optimist Classic (Dec 2-3/ Salisbury, MD) and the Albright College Tournament (Dec 29-30/ Reading, PA).  The Cougars will open up CUNYAC Conference play on November 29^th at Brooklyn College. They will resume conference play after the New Year and take on the Dolphins of the College of Staten Island on January 4^th.  The Cougars then will return home to the Cougar Cave where they will play SUNY-Oswego on January 9^th @ 7pm and York College on January 11^th @ 8pm.  They head back on the road for a series of games at Lehman College on January 14^th and Hunter College on January 18^th before coming back to Brooklyn to take on CCNY on January 20^th @ 8pm.  With over half of the season over, the Cougars take back to the road playing Baruch on January 25^th and John Jay on January 27^th.  The Cougars will then take on St.Josephs and Brooklyn College at home on January 29^th @ 4pm and February 1^st @ 8pm, respectively.  Cougars will wrap up CUNYAC conference play by traveling to York College on February 3^rd and will host the College of Staten Island, in a rematch of last year's CUNYAC Championship Finals, on February 8^th @ 8pm. The CUNYAC Championships will be held at a site to be announced with the quarterfinals held on February 18^th, the Semifinals on February 21^st and the Finals on February 25^th.       
      For an exclusive interview with Head Coach Pursoo where he talks about his take on the season, his coaching philosophy, and the advantages of playing in the Cougar Cave, fans and supporters should visit the MEC Athletics YouTube channel : http://www.youtube.com/user/MECAthletics?feature=mhee#g/u