Wingate, N.C.----The two-time defending SAC Tournament champion Wingate University Bulldogs open their 2013-14 season Wednesday night, hosting Mount Olive at 7 p.m. The Bulldogs will have a different look this season after losing five seniors that combined for 76 wins and 382 starts over the last four years. Wingate does return a pair of preseason All-SAC selections from a team that made its second consecutive trip to the NCAA regional semifinals. Wingate was picked to finish fourth in the preseason SAC coaches poll.

"We start every season with the expectation to compete for championships," head coach Brian Good says. "This team, as a whole, is very inexperienced, but we will approach each day as a chance to get closer as a group and better as a team."

Some of the differences Bulldog fans may see this season could come on the defensive end. "Believe it or not, you may see the Bulldogs play some zone," Good says. "The reason last season's team was able to lead the league in field goal percentage defense was because they made very few mistakes. Freshmen make mistakes. We may need it as we allow our young guys to get better in that area."

Good also talks about the new rule changes on the defensive end of the ball that may change the approach. "The new perimeter foul rules have me concerned about how much pressure we will be allowed to put on the ball handler. Early season games indicate that we are going to see tons of free throw attempts."

With five seniors gone from a team that won 43 games and two SAC titles the last two seasons, Good will look to new places for leadership. "I believe Deion Turman and Jeff Parker have stepped in nicely to fill that leadership role," Good says. "I hope Ryan Daye and Xavier Griffin will grow as leaders as the season progresses. The more guys we have with "buy-in" the more leadership we will have. Maybe the best part of last year's squad was how many of the guys were leaders in their own way."

The Bulldogs will have six true freshmen on the team this year, along with two redshirt freshmen. "It's been a roller coaster for them like it is for most freshmen," Good says. "Each of them was a guy counted on to score points more than anything else in high school. Now they are trying to find value on the other end. Luckily for us, they all had great high school coaches so they understand our principles. The freshmen who can start to understand that defense is the core to our success at Wingate, will be the ones contributing this season."

Here is a position-by-position breakdown for the Bulldogs as the 2013-14 season gets underway.

Point Guard
Sophomore Xavier Griffin appeared in all 31 contests for Wingate last season, scoring 3.1 points per game while handing out 40 assists and adding 19 steals. A backup to four-year starter Ethan Kincaid last season, Griffin saw some key moments in big games during the season, playing 13 minutes in the regional semifinal contest at USC Aiken. "Xavier is a true point guard," Good says. "He wants to get other guys open shots and is willing to pressure the ball on every trip. Our biggest challenge for him is to look to score more. He is too unselfish at times and in order for this team to be successful he has to be an offensive threat as well."

One of the biggest questions on the team is the backup point guard spot. Good will look to a pair of freshmen to help fill the role. "Our biggest question is back-up point guard," Good says. "Having spent the second semester here as a redshirt last year, Bryce Benjamin had the best understanding of what was needed at that spot. But Austin Crown has been our most improved freshman so far and is challenging to get some minutes at that spot as well. They each bring something entirely different to the table so it is nice to have multiple options."

Shooting Guard
Preseason All-SAC selection Ryan Daye is Wingate's leading returning scorer. He was second on the team last year with 11.9 points per game, shooting 41.7 percent from beyond the arc and 76.9 percent from the free throw line. Daye led the team in scoring 10 times last season, scoring in double figures 19 times including three games with over 20 points. He scored in double figures in each of Wingate's last nine games last year. "Ryan's biggest challenge is, and probably always will be, the defensive end," Good says. "His help on that end covered for many of his mistakes last season. Those guys are now gone and he is the most experienced guard we have now. He is a terrific shooter who has the ability to drive the ball, which makes him a very tough matchup for other teams. Not to mention he is a great athlete that can also make the pass to the open post when help comes. It's no secret, we need him to make plays this season on a regular basis."

Small Forward
The small forward is another big question mark for the Bulldogs this season. Several freshmen are competing for the starting spot as the season gets underway. True freshmen Isiah Cureton, Josh Dominguez and Dustin Dodd are in contention, along with redshirt freshman Terrill Hilliard.  "They all bring something different but one thing is for sure: we will start a freshman," Good says. "At this point, Isiah is the best defender. Josh is the best scorer. Terrill is the longest and best passer. Dustin is the best shooter. The starter may be the guy that is most needed for that night's match-up."

Power Forward
Senior Jeff Parker has been a big contributor to Wingate's last two championship teams. He appeared in every game last season, making six starts. He averaged 5.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, shooting 64.8 percent from the field. Parker has 132 blocked shots in his first three years at Wingate. "I will be the most shocked person if Jeff doesn't have a breakout season," Good says. "He worked relentlessly this off-season to expand his game and give us the chance to play him alongside Deion. Jeff is also our energy guy. He brings it every day, constantly talking and encouraging others. He's put in four years of hard work and I think it is his time."

Center
Wingate's other preseason All-SAC selection is senior Deion Turman. He averaged 9.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game last season, shooting 63.5 percent from the field while adding 39 blocks. Turman was third in the league in rebounding, fourth in field goal percentage and fifth in blocked shots. He shot a league-best 67.5 percent from the field in league games, while posting three double-doubles on the year. "Deion's desire, along with Coach Kirkland's tutoring, has made him the most improved player in the SAC over the last 2 years," Good says. "We will need much of the same this year along with an increase in scoring."

The Bulldogs will count on more young players to back up their frontcourt veterans. Sophomore Jonathan Golden-Calvin appeared in 11 contests as a freshman last season, including the regional semifinal game against USC Aiken. Freshman Keith Griffin will also see some time in his first season at Wingate, as well as Obieze Moneke, another new face who will be a junior this year. Moneke will miss the first couple of weeks due to a preseason injury. "Jon and Keith are both very capable forwards who will give us great depth in the frontcourt," Good says. "When Obieze returns from injury we should have five guys that can play in the post."

Wingate opens the season against Mount Olive Wednesday night in Cuddy Arena. The Bulldogs travel to UNC Wilmington Saturday at 7 p.m. The game will be an exhibition for Wingate, but counts as a regular season contest for the Seahawks. Wingate will open SAC play next Wednesday, hosting Catawba at 8 p.m.