EAST STROUDSBURG – Fresh off arguably the most-successful season in program history, East Stroudsburg University kicks off its 2018-19 campaign with a trip to Raleigh, North Carolina, this weekend.

The Warriors will play a pair of games at Shaw, taking on St. Augustine at 2 p.m. on Saturday before a 4 p.m. matchup with the host Bears the following afternoon. ESU, ranked No. 15 in the NABC Division II preseason poll, is coming off a 27-6 season which included the team's third PSAC championship in the last seven years, and a first-ever Atlantic Region title which booked a spot in the DII Elite Eight.

Several new contributors will need to step up to replicate those accomplishments this winter, with half of ESU's 10-man rotation from a year ago not on this year's active roster. All-Region performer Steve Harris, Ralik Wise and Ryan Krawczeniuk are all departed seniors, while Kobi Nwandu transferred and senior Kitt Najee Walls is expected to miss the year due to injury.

Those five combined for over half of a 92.0 points per game total which ranked fourth in all of Division II, but 17th year head coach Jeff Wilson believes this year's group has the potential to build towards a similarly cohesive unit as the season progresses.

"We'll be relying on some youth this year, but I think our youth can play," the 2017-18 PSAC East Coach of the Year said. "They just need to see and experience things first-hand and grow together. I think this team can get considerably better as the year goes on, and with some strong veteran leadership mixed in we can be a tough out by the time we get into the East games."

Integral to that referenced veteran leadership will be redshirt senior Jakwan Jones, who earned second team All-PSAC East honors in 2017-18 after starting all 33 games at the point guard position. Jones ranked second in the conference at 5.7 assists per game while also contributing 9.6 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.9 steals per contest.

"With Najee out, Jakwan will probably have to take on 5 to 10 more minutes as our reserves get used to our style of play," Wilson said. "Other than that, I don't think he needs to do anything different. He did a tremendous job leading the team last season, and we're looking to him to be our on-court leader again this year."

The Warriors have plenty of experience returning at the wing positions, with two returning starters in senior Nick Giordano and junior Montrel Morgan joined by sophomore Marc Rodriguez. Giordano and Rodriguez combined for 18.0 points per game and 127 made 3-pointers, with both shooting over 35 percent from beyond the arc. Morgan was one of three Warriors to start all 33 games, totaling 5.2 points per game while rating as the team's top perimeter defender; he could be looked at to increase his presence offensively this winter.

"Those guys give us a lot of stability in that area of the court," Wilson said. "Nick's been our most consistent guy to this point in the preseason. He's a really good shooter, and has developed into a reliable defender."

Other guards for ESU include freshman Shamir Johnson, redshirt sophomore Troy Jones and freshman Ish Horn. Johnson, a third-team All-State performer from Newark East Side HS, is expected to backup Jones at the point guard position in Walls' absence, while Jones could see increased playing time in his second season while transitioning into more of a shooting guard role.

Redshirt senior Josh Williams and freshman Ryan Smith will lead ESU inside to begin the season. Williams made the most of his 12.5 minutes per game a year ago, averaging 7.7 points (56.1 FG%) while ranking second on the team with 30 blocks.

"Josh was very productive in his minutes last year, and we're looking from big things from him in his senior year," Wilson said. "He's a really talented kid when he plays with a sense of urgency."

Backing up Williams and Morgan at the three and four positions are redshirt senior Steven Stoney, redshirt freshman Mike Millsip, freshman Carlos Pepin and freshman Jacob Godfrey. Stoney returns to the team after starting 22 games in 2016-17, while Millsip, currently sidelined by injury, will look to move into the rotation after taking a medical redshirt after seven appearances last winter.

Smith is the early favorite to take over for Steve Harris at the center spot. A Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2 MVP for Lampeter-Strasburg HS, he averaged 20.8 points and 11.4 rebounds in his final high school season.

"We're really excited about Ryan," Wilson said. "He seems to be ahead of most incoming freshmen from a basketball IQ and skills standpoint. I think he has a big future, and we hope that future starts now."

Challenging Smith and looking to see an increased role this season is junior Michal Weiss. A two-time Lehigh Valley Small College Scholar-Athlete selection, Weiss has shot 54.8 percent (17 of 31) across 24 appearances in his first two years with the program.

"I'm really proud of the work Michal put in over the summer," Wilson commented. "He's the strongest guy on the team right now, and we may on occasion look to play him Ryan at the same time to give us some extra size. He's bided his time the last two years and is going to get his opportunity to play."

Junior Justin Migdol, who joins the roster as a walk-on after previously serving as a team manager, will add depth to the Warriors at the guard and forward positions.

ESU will have a challenging schedule to prepare itself for PSAC East division play, including a game on Sunday against a Shaw squad projected to top the CIAA Southern division in 2018-19. The Warriors also have a trip to 2017-18 DII tournament team Saint Rose on Jan. 2, and they will face the two top projected PSAC West finishers in IUP and Slippery Rock during the crossover portion of its schedule.

East games begin on Dec. 30 at Mansfield, with West Chester, ESU, Shippensburg, and Kutztown projected to finish one through four in a division always competitive from top to bottom. The Warriors, who won 13-straight games from Feb. 3 – March 13 last season, have topped the East regular season standings in five of the past nine years overall.

"West Chester has the most experience coming back," Wilson said. "I think the coaches were right to pick them first. Everyone else took some hits, the rosters are still very talented but most have lost some key experience.

"Some teams always emerge by the time you get to February," he concluded. "We were one of them last season, and we hope to be right there again this time around."