MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (November 2, 2021) – The St. Thomas University Men's Basketball team is set to take the floor for the first time under new Head Coach Patrick Crarey II on Thursday evening in front of the home crowd at the Fernandez Family Center. The Bobcats will take on crosstown foe, Florida National University to open the 2021-22 campaign.
 
St. Thomas came in tied for third in The Sun Conference Coaches' Preseason Poll. The Bobcats have made it to the championship game two years in a row and hope to rise above the threshold to bring back a championship under the direction of Coach Crarey.
 
Coach Crarey comes to St. Thomas from Washington Adventist, who unfortunately did not participate in athletics last season due to COVID-19. This will be the first game Crarey has coached in 598 days as he enters his 11^th overall season and first at the helm of STU.
 
"To say I'm excited is an understatement, I am really thankful for this opportunity after being away from the sidelines for so long," said Coach Crarey. "Happy for our players to get out there and show all the work that they have done in the offseason to get to this point. I cannot wait to start the journey with this special group."
 
Some key players to watch this season is Dwayne Russell, Justyn Rogers and Jonas Parker. Dwayne Russell is heading into his second season as a Bobcat looking to continue to be a key contributor to the team. Russell was a First-Team All-Sun Conference selection after averaging 16.6 points per game, shooting 54.8% from the field and collecting 9.3 rebounds per game. Russell was also named to the Sun Conference All-Tournament team last year.
 
Justyn Rogers is a returning junior from the Bronx. Rogers was the fourth leading scorer for the Bobcats last year averaging 9.2 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game, with 23 steals. Rogers is a big defensive presence winning the game on the boards and pick pocketing.
 
Jonas Parker is a senior from Brooklyn, N.Y. who transferred in and looks to be an immediate impact on the offensive end. Coming from the University of Montevallo where he was the second leading scorer averaging 14 points a game, shooting 45.7 % from the field. Parker also averaged six rebounds a game.
 
Game one is the start of a new beginning at St. Thomas, as the team looks to work their way back to the National Tournament. The road ahead will be tough with the Bobcats playing top tier NCAA Division II crosstown foe, Barry University. Also, playing NAIA ranked opponents in no. 7 Arizona Christian and no. 12 Morningside at home. The conference is also a tough battle with Keiser and Warner currently receiving votes as both made national tournament appearances last season.
 
Catch all games on the Bobcat Sports Network via The Sun Digital Network and follow along on our social pages on @STU_MBasketball.
 
Purchase tickets by visiting – stubobcats.com/tickets.