Marietta College's men's basketball team has gone nine straight seasons without a winning record but last season the Pioneers were exciting and highly competitive and picked up momentum toward breaking the streak with a 12-14 record.

The Blue Bombers figure to hit the plus side for the 2009-10 campaign which begins Sunday with a 4 p.m. game against Denison University at Granville.

Head coach Jon VanderWal is optimistic and he has the personnel to support his enthusiasm. The Pioneers return six players who started at least seven games, including two all-conference players. Five of the top six scorers are back, 77 percent of the scoring, and also 85 percent of the rebounding.

"We're hoping to build upon what we started last year," VandeWal said. "We made a lot of strides last year from the previous year (6-19). We've got several guys back with experience. The freshman class last year are now sophomores and we expect them to use that experience and we expect to win more games."

MC hopes to better their sixth place Ohio Athletic Conference finish.

"Last year we were picked 10th and finished sixth and this year we were picked fifth and we're hoping to finish right up there toward the top. That's our goal," VanderWal said.

Sophomore post and co-captain Kevin Knab (6-6, Lakewood) and sophomore wing Trevor Halter (6-6, Malvern) head a cast which includes only two seniors. The rest are sophomores and freshmen, and once again MC will be the OAC's youngest team.

Knab and Halter both averaged 14.3 points. Knab was magnificent inside, shooting a school-record 68.7 percent from the field while Halter popped .496 percent from the field and a team-best 41 percent from three-point range. Injury limited Knab to 18 starts. Halter started 25 of the 26 contests.

Sophomore wing Joe Puch (6-3, Brunswick) started 20 games, averaged 8.2 points, and hit 37 threes, second to Halter's 39 among the returnees.

Sophomore post Conner Kilpatrick (6-7, Bowling Green) started the last 12 games of the season and supplied potent rebound and defensive work, averaging 4.6 points, while senior post and co-captain Matt Kubachka (6-3, Alexander High, 6.4 ppg) went out for the season with an ankle injury after nine starts and senior post Daun Lutes (6-7, Frontier High, 7.1 ppg) started only 11 games because of illness.

"Injuries hurt us last year and staying healthy is a big key for us this season," VanderWal said.

The trio of Knab, Kubachka, and Lutes combined missed 30 games because of ailments but all are healthy for this season.

The top departed starter leaves a big hole. Three-time All-OAC guard Isaiah Creasap finished a 1,000-point career scorer, ranking 20th all-time, and the school record-holder in three-pointers and three-point percentage.

There'll be good experience at four of the five positions. But there's inexperience at the critical point guard position and that's the main worry.

"Point guard is our biggest question-mark right now," VanderWal said.

Two freshmen, Jacob Owens (5-9, Mansfield) and Tyler Worstell (5-11, Franklin Heights) will split the duty to start the season.

"We feel really good about them both but they're going to have to grow up pretty fast," VanderWal said.

"They're both quick. They both shoot it well. We don't need those guys to be great, just solid and get the ball where it needs to go."

Sophomore Zach Walton (6-4, St. Louisville), who was out much of last season with a lung ailment, is in the mix and has shown promise.

But it'll be a big challenge for the two frosh or anbody else to handle collegiate defensive pressure.

"We expect to see a lot of presssure this year," VanderWal said.

"We're so young. Teams are going to try to get after us and get us to turn it over like we kinda did a little big last year.

"If we get good play out of the point guard position, we'e going to be pretty solid. I think we probably have the best post play in the league. We're a lot bigger and stronger than last year."

MC is deep in the post with Knabb, Kubachka, Kilpatrick, Lutes, sophomore Zane Carter (6-5, Wellsville), and freshman Jason Humphrey (6-5, Naples, Fla.).

Carter pulled down the most rebounds (111) and blocked the most shots (34) last season with key work off the bench. He was No. 2 in the OAC in blocked shots.

Freshman Scott Kimmey (6-2, Olmsted Falls) and freshman Brian Crater (6-0, Sheridan High) join Halter and Puch for an imposing wing foursome.

"Kimmey is just as good a shooter as Isaiah (Creasap)," VanderWal said. "I think we'll shoot it pretty well."

Marietta was 7-11 in the OAC last season and was competitive in every game but one. Eight league losses were by 10 points or less.

"If our freshmen can adjust to the speed of the game quickly and figure out how physical the game is and how to adjust in that regard, I think we can put together a pretty good year."

Denison was 8-18 last season and lost to Marietta at MC 84-71.

The Big Red are picked to finish eighth in the 10-team North Coast Athletic Conference.

After Sunday, the Pioneers head to Buffalo (N. Y) for the Buffalo State tournament Nov. 20-21 to face Nazareth (N. Y.) from Rochester and then either host Buffalo State or Penn State-Bradford.

The Pioneers open OAC play Nov. 29 at Capital and launch their home season Dec. 5 at 3 p.m. against Baldwin-Wallace.