Waterville, Maine - The Colby Men's Basketball team is set to being the new season this Saturday heading to Nashua, N.H. to face the Rivier University Raiders. The Mules are under new leadership this season in
Sean Rutigliano, the Richard L. Whitmore Jr. Head Coach for Colby Men's Basketball.
"We're really excited about this group, stated Rutigliano. "The closeness and brotherhood within our team have stood out from day one. All 18 guys represent Colby and our program the right way, on and off the court. I'm very happy with our three team captains and the leadership they've brought to the group. Our five first-years have done a tremendous job adjusting to the speed and physicality of the college game, and they've integrated seamlessly with our returners. As a team, we're continuing to emphasize growth on the defensive end, strengthening our chemistry, and continuing to focus on player development both on and off the court. We can't wait to open the season against Rivier University and finally have the chance to compete against someone else."
The Mules ended the 2024-25 season with a 13-12 overall record falling to Trinity in the NESCAC Quarterfinals. This year the team will be led by a trio of seniors;
Max Poulton,
Rashard Doyal, and
Miles Drake who are looking to improve on last years result.
Poulton, who hit the 1,000 point mark last season, has been a key offensive threat for the Mules the past few years. The two-time All-Conference selection started in all 25 games last season totaling 369 points (14.8 per game), the eighth most points in the conference. The guard also contributed 118 rebounds, 70 assists (10th most in the NESCAC), 30 steals and 10 blocks over the course of the 25 games. Other key returners who hit the 200-point mark last year include
Marcos Montiel (285 points),
Sam Hinman (249 points) and
Dan Civello (229 points). Montiel led the team is assists (83) last season while having the second most minutes played (710), only behind Poulton (793). On the defensive end Civello led the team in blocks with 36.
Rutigliano is joined by two new assistant coaches. The John "Swisher" Mitchell Assistant Coach for Colby Men's Basketball
Ryan Jenei, who comes to Mayflower Hill after serving as an Assistant Coach for Oglethorpe University from 2023-25 and
Benji Oxman who also comes from Oglethorpe University as an Assistant Coach.
Fans can follow alongside this Saturday's action using the
live video and
live stats links as well as check out the
schedule tab to catch the Mules when they come to a location near you. Colby and Rivier have only met once before in program history with the Raiders taking the win 56-41 back in 2010.
