ROCHESTER, NY -- The RIT men's basketball team looks for a return trip to the Liberty League Tournament in 2016-17. The Tigers won 12 games last season, finishing in a three-way tie for third in the Liberty League standings, narrowly missing the conference tournament.

Although their overall goal is to win the Liberty League and advance to make it to the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers are focusing on the day-to-day process. RIT head coach Bob McVean feels that if his guys can work hard and get better each and every day, that the overarching goals will take care of themselves.

"We have really honed in this year on improving a day at a time," said McVean, who now enters his 34th season at the university. "In improving each day, you build up good habits that by the end of the season are ingrained without even thinking about it."

RIT returns two starters and six lettermen from last year's squad, including All-Liberty League first-team performer, AJ Horde (Oak Park, MI/University of Detroit Jesuit) and Mitch Herman (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder).

"We haven't had such a strong group of veterans returning in recent years," said McVean. "With such a veteran crew back, we were able to work a lot on our offense this preseason and get ahead of the learning curve."

Horde led or was near the top of the conference in just about every offensive category in 2015-16, including leading the league in scoring, averaging 21.0 points per game. He was second in the league in free throw percentage (80.0%) and 3-point field goals (68). Horde led the league, dishing out 5.0 assists per contest.

"AJ just loves to play basketball," stated McVean. "He has worked really hard in the offseason working on areas of his game to get better. We want to try and get him more space to score. He is a vital cog in our success."

Herman, RIT's captain in 2016-17, was third on the team in scoring last season, averaging 8.8 points per game. He led the Liberty League hitting 47.0% of his 3-point attempts, and was tied for third making 62 from beyond the arc. Herman, who played in 25 games last season, will provide valuable leadership on and off the court.

"Mitch is one of the better 3-point shooters in the country," said McVean. "We want him to get in the lane a little more to help free him up for his outside shot. Mitch is a very steady player who leads by example."

Joining Horde in the backcourt are juniors Anthony Lewis (Rochester, NY/Churchville-Chili), Troy Pierre-Louis (Providence, RI/Berkshire School), and Joe Stortini (Red Hook, NY/Loomis Chaffee). Lewis averaged 6.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game last season, while Pierre-Louis averaged 6.9 points and 1.6 assists. Stortini returns after a year off in 2015-16 due to injury. He adds scoring punch and outside shooting to the mix.

"It will be good to get Joe back this year," said McVean. "When he gets it going, he can really fill it up from outside. Anthony likes the up-tempo style. He can get in the lane and create his shot, while Troy is a dead-eye shooter from outside."

Junior Jaymee Rosser (Newark, NY/Newark) returns after an injury and will provide defensive depth and talent at guard or small forward. Look for sophomore DJ Walker (Rochester, NY/Irondequoit) and newcomers Drew DeBacco (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas), Tyler Cruz (Rock Tavern, NY/Burke Catholic) and Will Atkinson (Orchard Park, NY/Canisius) to all battle for playing time in the backcourt.

With the graduation of Kamron Davis (Syracuse, NY/Nottingham), the Tigers will look to Justin Schneider (Aurora, NY/Southern Cayuga) and Robert Aguilera (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas) at the low-post position. Schneider was pressed into action last season when injuries hit the Tigers. He played in 22 games last season, averaging 1.9 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. Look for him to play a more prominent role offensively.

Aguilera was a standout at Webster Schroeder High School and his size and athleticism will cause trouble down low for opponents. Senior Kevin Drain (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker) will also see plenty of action in the post. Will Avis (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook) could also see time in the post this season.

Marcel Davis, Wyatt Smith (Rochester, NY/Irondequoit), Rosser and Herman will all see time up at both forward positions. Davis, an athletic forward, saw action 11 games last season. Smith played in 25 games averaging 3.5 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. Rosser played four games before an injury cut his season short.

Newcomers Charles Okehie (Owing Mills, MD/McDonogh) and Cobey Adekanbi (Bloomfield, CT/Loomis Chafee) will also see time at the forward and/or center positions. Both will provide depth on both ends of the floor for Coach McVean.

"With Cobey, Charles, Kevin and Justin we have a lot of options in the post," said McVean. "They all provide a different challenge down low. With Aguillera, we hope to surprise some teams with his size later in the season,."

The Tigers open the regular season on Nov. 15 at D'Youville College. RIT hosts the Harold J. Brodie Tournament on Nov. 26-27 to begin the home portion of the schedule.

This season, the Tigers participate in the Rochester Classic, taking on Nazareth College Dec. 2 and St. John Fisher College Dec. 3. The Tigers host SUNY Polytechnic on Dec.10 to close out the first semester.

"All of these non-conference games will be tough for us," said McVean. "But, these games will get us ready for the grind that is the Liberty League regular season."

After Christmas, the Tigers open Liberty League play with a weekend series at Rensselaer and Skidmore Dec. 30 and 31. RIT begins 2017 with game versus cross-town rival University of Rochester on Jan. 3.

RIT plays its final 14 games versus Liberty League foes, including six of its last eight at home. The Tigers host Hobart, Bard, Vassar, Clarkson and St. Lawrence to close out the month of January. RIT closes out the regular season at home versus Union on Feb. 17.

"The Liberty League is one of the toughest conferences in Division III," said McVean. "From top to bottom, there are no easy games. We have to be ready for every team."

The Liberty League Tournament gets underway Feb. 22 at the highest seed. The championship will take place on Feb. 25 with the winner earning the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

"It is a very competitive schedule," said McVean. "Every game, especially in the Liberty League, is a battle that will mean something."

With such a wealth of talent returning in 2016-17, the Tigers are poised for a run to the post-season.