FREDONIA, N.Y. - The Fredonia men's basketball team will be following a different approach toward this season than they have in the past.

Third-year coach Philip Seymore will develop his team's philosophy around legendary college basketball coach John Wooden's "Pyramid of Success."

"We haven't really talked of how many wins we would like to reach this year," Seymore said. "Rather, we talked of what we can do to be successful as a team, whether it is through building character, showing loyalty to teammates, or accepting responsibility."

The Blue Devils open the season Tuesday when they take on Lycoming at the Steele Hall Fieldhouse. Tip off is set for 6 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m.

Leadership will play the key role in how the Blue Devils follow that plan this season. Two seniors, Alexander Grace (Bemus Point, N.Y. / Maple Grove) and Eric Zwierlein (Nichols, N.Y. / Tioga), as well as sophomore Ian Helps (Bronx, N.Y. / Greater New York Academy), were named captains and will be expected to carry the team philosophy with them on and off the court.

Zwierlein is the team's only four-year member. He has started 17 games and been a key figure off the bench. Grace is a high-energy player and has started 27 games in his two seasons with Fredonia.

Helps, a 6'6'' sophomore, put together a strong freshman season which earned him the SUNYAC Rookie of the Year award, and D3hoops.com All Region Team. He averaged 14.0 points and 8.7 rebounds per game to rank 10th and third, respectively, in the conference. The also converted 53.8 percent of his field goals, ranking fourth in the SUNYAC, and he added 30 blocks and 21 steals.

John Kovach (Shoreham, N.Y. / Shoreham-Wading River), returns to the team after a one-year absence. As a sophomore, the 6'4'' forward averaged 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

A quartet of sophomores return from Seymore's first recruiting class: Tremaine Shelton (Buffalo, N.Y. / Buffalo Academy for Visual & Performing Arts), Jovohn Owens (Buffalo, N.Y. / Hutch Tech), Justin Tapper (White Plains, N.Y. / White Plains), and Dante Williams (Buffalo, N.Y. / Hutch Tech).

The 6'8'' Shelton started 19 times and had a team-best 36 blocks. Tapper, a 6'5 forward, and Owens, at 6'3'', and both came off the bench last season. Willams started a pair of games.

Three junior college players have been added to the mix. Kasean Jackson (Ridgewood, N.Y. / Grover Cleveland), Kareem Brown (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Brooklyn H.S. for Law & Tech), and Richard De La Cruz (Washington Heights, N.Y. / Norman Thomas) are expected to each be key factors throughout the season. Brown averaged 10.9 points per game while connecting on 78 three pointers over two seasons at LaGuardia Junior College. Jackson averaged 5.8 points and dished out 68 assists while starting 24 games for Jamestown Community College last season. De La Cruz last played collegiately in the 2012-13 season at Finger Lakes Community College, where he averaged 14.3 points as a sophomore. 

"Each player brings their unique style of play to the game," Seymore said. "They each serve as a threat and hopefully when they come together as one, things will fall into place.

The top freshmen, so far, have been point guard Brandon Hodge (Brentwood, N.Y. / Central Islip) and Jared Fish (Salamanca, N.Y. / Salamanca). Seymore believes Hodge has the savvy to push for time on the relatively young squad. The 6'7'' Fish is a versatile big man. "He's a real good passer with a high basketball IQ," Seymore said. "He can contribute at both ends of the floor."

A trio of other freshmen guards round out the lineup. Tyler Roberts (Rochester, N.Y. / Wheatland-Chili), Matt Cieslik (Buffalo, N.Y. / City Honors), Matt Fritz (Buffalo, N.Y. / St. Joe's) and Brian Baril (Cambria Heights, N.Y. / Monsignor Scanlan).

"This is the hardest working team I have had so far in my time here," Seymore said. "I feel that this group can find success if they follow the guidelines of the pyramid and it will help make us a better all around team."