Irvine Valley's men's basketball team gets its 2013-14 season underway with a home game on Friday against Southwestern at 7 p.m.
The Lasers are coming off a season where they had a record of 16-12 overall and were 7-5 in the Orange Empire Conference, which was good for third place. The Lasers made the Southern California Regional Playoffs, but dropped their opening game at Chaffey.
IVC returns three key players from last year's team, including one starter.
Guard Shaquille Hunter was an all-conference player last season as a freshman after averaging 14.7 points, which led the Lasers and was third in the conference.
He scored in double figures in 22 of 28 games and topped 20 points five times.
Other projected starters are sophomore center Declan Daly, freshman forwards Chris Porter and Jimmy Golden and freshman point guard Jalen Hall.
Daly transferred in from MiraCosta in Oceanside, where he led that team in rebounding.
Porter was a gray-shirt at IVC last season.
Other key returning players are reserve sophomore guard Dathon Spencer and reserve sophomore forward Austin Priest.
Spencer played in all 28 games a year ago and averaged 7.1 points, while Priest chipped in 2.0 points per game.
Irvine Valley also gets back sophomore forward Yanick Kulich, who has missed the last two seasons with injuries.
Southwestern had a record of 11-16 overall and 4-8 in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference last year.
The Jaguars return just one player from last season's team, but have five red-shirts on the roster.
Southwestern should challenge the likes of Palomar and MiraCosta for the PCAC title.
Irvine Valley won at Southwestern in the opener last season, 64-59.
After Friday's opener, Irvine Valley plays at Cuyamaca on Nov. 15 before hosting its Irvine Valley College Classic Nov. 20-23.
