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NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The State University of New York at New Paltz men's basketball team faces a pair of unfamiliar opponents this weekend at the Lee Fulmer Tip-Off Classic hosted by the University of Redlands, taking on Whittier College on Friday, Nov. 15, at 3 p.m. (PDT) before matching up with host Redlands on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m. (PDT).

Live Coverage: Live stats and video will be available courtesy of the Redlands Sports Information Office at the links above.

Records: All three teams enter this weekend at 0-0, and their Friday contests will be their season openers. New Paltz went 11-15 (9-9 SUNYAC) in 2012-13, Whittier went 14-12 (10-6 SCIAC) in 2012-13 and Redlands went 22-6 (15-1 SCIAC).

Scouting the Hawks: The Hawks are coming off a season in which they posted their best SUNYAC record (9-9) since the 1998-99 season… They also qualified for the SUNYAC Men's Basketball Tournament for a program-record fourth year in a row… New Paltz returns three student-athletes from last year's team that started in at least 10 games… Junior guard/forward Taylor Sowah is the Hawks' top returning scorer, as he posted the team's fourth-best scoring average last season at 6.9 points per game… Sophomore forward Alex Perlman, who played in 23 games in 2012-13 and averaged 7.7 minutes per contest, will take to the Currier Gym floor this weekend as a starting post player… Graduate student guard Nick Taldi, who has played with three different 1,000 point scorers for at least two seasons, returns to the roster after a season in which he was sidelined due to an injury… Taldi enters 2013-14 with 742 career points.

What's Next: New Paltz hosts cross-river rival Vassar College in its 2013-14 home opener at the Hawk Center on Thursday, Nov. 21, at 6 p.m.

Scouting the Poets: Whittier, which posted a 10-6 SCIAC record in 2012-13, qualified for the SCIAC Men's Basketball Postseason Tournament as the No. 3 seed and fell, 62-60, to second-seeded Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges in the semifinal round… The Poets return a 2013 First-Team All-SCIAC selection in senior forward Tyree Landrum and the 2013 SCIAC Newcomer of the Year in senior forward Chris Barnes-Williams… Barnes-Williams averaged a team-best 16.0 points per game in 2012-13 and ranked third in the SCIAC in scoring.

What's Next: Whittier next faces West Coast Baptist College on Thursday, Nov. 21, at 7 p.m.

Scouting the Bulldogs: Redlands captured its 21st SCIAC title in program history in 2012-13 and gained the conference's automatic bid into the 2013 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament by virtue of winning the 2013 SCIAC Men's Basketball Postseason Tournament… The Bulldogs lost to only three NCAA Division III teams last year: Whitworth University (twice), Chapman University and Buena Vista University… Redlands' 22 wins in 2012-13 were the most a Bulldog men's basketball team achieved since the Maroon and Gray's 1960-61 team went 27-7 en route to winning its second of three straight conference titles… As would be expected from a team that had just six losses all season, Redlands led the SCIAC in a number of statistical categories: scoring offense (82.5 points per game), scoring margin (+8.4 points per game), field-goal percentage (.480), three-point field-goal percentage (.388), rebounding offense (39.0 per game), assists (17.0 per game), turnover margin (+1.75 per game), assist/turnover ratio (1.3), defensive rebounds (27.5 per game) and three-point field goals made (8.4 per game)… Senior forward Alex Rudd is the Bulldogs' lone returning 2013 All-SCIAC honoree, as he was tabbed to the Second Team... The Bulldogs take on George Fox University on Friday night at 7 p.m. (PDT) prior to squaring off against the Hawks.

What's Next: Redlands entertains San Diego Christian College next on Tuesday, Nov. 19, at 7:30 p.m.

Coaches: New Paltz is directed by third-year head coach Mike Rejniak, while Whittier is helmed by 17th-year head coach Rock Carter and Redlands is led by seventh-year head coach Jim Ducey.