MONTGOMERY, Ala. ---- Entering his 35th season at the helm of the men's basketball program, Larry Chapman is as excited about this year's team as any he has coached. Coming off an 8-18 season, the Warhawks have a lot to prove, but key pieces are in place to see immediate improvement.

"We are a lot deeper and a much better basketball team than we were last year," Chapman said of his 2011-12 squad. "We had several games that we should have won that we just did not execute down the stretch and ended up losing. I really feel much more positive about our basketball team than I did in the past."

This season's team returns seven letterwinners and welcomes nine newcomers to AUM's campus. In their returners, the Warhawks bring back nearly 56 percent of their scoring, 57 percent of their rebounds and better than 58 percent of their minutes played.

Despite the loss of two-time all-conference performer Charles Perona and a proven starter in Johnny Williams, the Warhawks return sophomore Marquez Brooks to anchor the backcourt. Brooks, who was a Southern States Athletic Conference All-Freshman team selection last season, averaged 7.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game during his freshman campaign and proved he was both a capable scorer and floor leader at the college level. Senior Michael Lee, as well as newcomers Michael Willis, Cameron Pridemore, Darren McDaniel, Justin Zachary, Justin Trotter, Justin Eidmoe and Hunter Anderson will also contribute at the guard position.

"Charles was an all-conference performer and Johnny was a starter, so those two are tough to replace," Chapman said. "We have Marquez coming back, who I think has all the tools to be a very special player, as well as Cameron and Darren, who have a great understanding of the game. I think Justin Zachary should be one of those borderline starters, but we will have to wait and see. We have some options like moving Michael Willis to one of the guard spots, but a lot will be determined by how quickly these newcomers come in and grasp our system."

Senior Stephen Jordan will provide the Warhawks with a valid option in the paint, having earned SSAC All-Division honors as a junior and 6th Man of the Year accolades as a sophomore. Jordan averaged 10 points per game and nearly nine rebounds per contest during his junior season and will be expected to produce in the same fashion this year.

Joining Jordan up front are returners Alex Hergott, A.J. Ansley and Caz Cole, as well as Da'Keidres (Dak) Wade and Michael Acoff. Also in the mix is Trey Geter, who missed last season with a knee injury, and suffered a setback early in the preseason.

"Stephen Jordan will anchor our frontcourt, but we have several other players who we are expecting significant contributions from," Chapman said. "I think the experience that Alex, A.J. and Caz gained last year will really prove to be an attribute to our team. If you add their year of maturity to the additions of Michael Acoff and Dak, we have quite a few more options in the paint than we did last season. And that is not a bad problem to have."

Returning just two guards from last season's team, the Warhawks will rely heavily on Brooks and Lee to provide minutes and leadership at the position.

"Marquez is a much-improved player for our team this year," Chapman said. "He has matured, both on and off the court, and has the potential to be a very special player in our conference. He had a very good freshman season for us last year and we are expecting even more out of him this season."

"No player that we have ever had plays harder and has more of a commitment to our program than Michael," Chapman said of Lee. "He had a good year last season and I think that is going to carry over this year. He runs the floor well and competes on both ends."

Joining the returning players is a talented group of newcomers, several of which Chapman feels will provide immediate results. Willis is a freshman who did not play basketball last year while attending Auburn, but has a strong understanding of the game and will look to fill one of the five starting spots.

"Michael played for a great high school coach in Frank Tolbert," Chapman said. "Even in his first year in our program, he has already started to show his value. He makes shots from the outside and is a good rebounder of the basketball. He has a great aptitude for the game and has such a smooth flow when he plays the game. I think he can have a very good career for us at AUM."

Pridemore is in a similar situation, having signed with SSAC foe Lee University out of high school. After taking a year off to help coach his high school alma mater, Pridemore is also projected to compete for a starting spot in the backcourt.

"Cameron signed with Lee University out of high school, but spent last season coaching at his high school," Chapman said. "He has such a sweet shot and a great basketball IQ. He loves the game and his passion shows through in every practice. Right now, he is one of the primary guards on our team, but I will be interested to see how he responds to the speed of the college game."

Also factoring into the equation are Zachary and McDaniel. Zachary joins the Warhawks following a highly-decorated prep career at Sonoraville High School in Calhoun, Ga., while McDaniel was a key contributor for the past two seasons at Gadsden State Community College in Gadsden, Ala.

"Justin is a very talented player, who we are counting on to play quality minutes this year," Chapman said. "We know he is going to struggle a little bit as he adjusts to the speed of the college game, but has the ability to be a good player in our league."

"Darren has a lot to offer our program," Chapman added. "He is a physical player, a solid defender and a quality shooter. He needs to improve on his ball-handling skills, but he is working hard to do that and will certainly factor into the mix for playing time this year."

Adding to the depth at the position are Anderson, Trotter and Eidmoe.

"Hunter is a young man that had a great high school career, but will use this year to learn and get stronger," Chapman said. "He was a three-sport athlete in high school, and probably wasn't able to focus as much on basketball because of playing other sports. He shoots the ball well, so if he continues to work hard, I can see him contributing to our program in the future."

"Justin (Trotter) is a walk-on guard with a tremendous attitude and an eagerness for the game," Chapman continued. "He will need to continue to improve, but with his work ethic, I can see him contributing to our program in time."

"Justin works as hard as any player we have," Chapman said of Eidmoe. "His love for the game and desire to get better will serve him, and our team, well."

THE FRONTCOURT

The AUM frontcourt has a nice blend of talented returners and promising newcomers. Jordan is the most powerful option inside, coming off a junior campaign that was highlighted by an 18-point, 20-rebound effort against Truett-McConnell.

"Stephen has been a major player in our program for the past three years and I expect the same this year," Chapman said. "He is a tenacious competitor and seems to have become more involved in the game this preseason. He is a capable scorer on the offensive end and is aggressive on the defensive end. He is a cornerstone of our program, who is excited about playing his senior season, so I am looking forward to seeing what this year brings for him."

Joining Jordan in the post is Hergott, who averaged 9.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest in his first season. Hergott began his AUM career with a season-high 20 points against Life University in the season opener and remained a presence on the court for the duration of the season.

"Alex has gotten stronger this season and that should serve him well," Chapman said. "He made a great contribution last year and I shudder to think how we would have finished if we didn't have him. He worked hard this summer and has been impressive early this fall, so we are expecting big things of him this year."

Also returning are Ansley and Cole, both sophomores this season. Ansley, a member of the SSAC All-Freshman team last year, scored 6.9 points and pulled down 3.0 rebounds per game in 26 contests, while Chapman is pleased with the improvement Cole has shown and expects him to be a significant contributor to the team.

"A.J. is a guy who has come a long way, but still has room for improvement," Chapman said. "He needs to rebound the ball better and get his shot more stable. But with that being said, he is very strong and athletic and will be a major player on our team this year."

"I think Caz has made a turn," Chapman added. "This preseason he has shown a great maturity, but has to continue to get stronger. He is very athletic and seems to be more comfortable with things, so I expect him to contribute to our team in a much larger way this season."

A one-year player, who transferred to AUM from Tuskegee University, Acoff will also provide a powerful presence in the middle on both ends of the court.

"Michael is a brute in the paint and you have to have that in basketball," Chapman said. "He is very physical and has improved significantly since his arrival on campus. He works hard and is going to be a great addition to our team."

A true freshman, Wade joins the Warhawks from Cairo High School in Cairo, Ga., where he enjoyed a standout prep career.

"Dak is everything you want in a player," Chapman said. "He has great length, great athletic ability, is engaged well with the game and works hard on both ends of the court. He is a good shooter and runs the floor well. He has to get better at working with his back to the basket, but Dak is a guy we are counting on to play a lot this year."

The wildcard in the frontcourt, and likely the entire team, is Geter, whose health continues to impact his potential.

"Trey came to AUM as a potential impact player for our program and has been battling injuries since the second week of practice last year," Chapman said. "He spent last year recovering from a knee injury and suffered another injury early this preseason. If he can get healthy and improve his leg strength, his length and athleticism will be a great addition to our team."