It was during his junior year at Susquehanna University that Tommy Dempsey first entertained thoughts of becoming a basketball coach.

Joel Green of Philadelphia has signed a national letter of intent to further his education and basketball career at Rider University, Rider basketball coach Tommy Dempsey announced.

Robbie Myers of Mountain Top, PA, a senior at Crestwood High School, has signed a national letter of intent to further his education and basketball career at Rider University, Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey announced today.

Patrick Mansell, a senior at Cheltenham High School, has signed a national letter of intent to further his education and basketball career at Rider University, Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey announced today.

The Rider University men’s basketball team recently held its annual Awards Banquet.

Edwin Muniz, a senior at Rider University, was selected in the fourth round by the Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs in the 21^st annual United States Basketball League (USBL) college draft Tuesday night.

Tommy Dempsey has been named the head coach of the Rider University men’s basketball team, it was announced today.  Dempsey was the Interim Head Coach at Rider during the 2005-2006 season.

Despite the return of injured All-MAAC forward Jason Thompson, the Rider University men’s basketball season came to an end Friday in the first round of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship tournament, losing to fifth seeded Saint Peter’s in the Pepsi Arena. “I don’t think we ever gave in, but I’m a little astonished at the result,” said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey.

The official pairings for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Basketball Championship tournament, held at the Pepsi Arena in Albany, NY, were announced Monday, along with the All-MAAC teams.

The Broncs ended the regular season with a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference loss to Saint Peter’s Sunday, and will now turn around and play Saint Peter’s again Friday in the first round of the MAAC Championship tournament in Albany, NY.  “I’ve been preaching to the guys that once the tournament starts, everyone is 0-0,” said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey.  “We can win four games in four days. It can be done.”

The Broncs went on an 11-3 run to cut the lead to 67-66 with 21 seconds left, but that was as close as the Broncs could get in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference loss to Loyola Friday. “It was one heck of a fight by our kids,” said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey.  “The one constant has been us being ultra-competitive.”

Sophomore Jason Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape) and senior Paul Johnson (Virginia Beach, VA/Salem) came in off the bench to combine for 29 points and 18 rebounds, but it was not enough as Rider lost a non-conference game at Northeastern Saturday. “We fought for 40 minutes, which has been a constant all season,” said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey. “For most of this game we played well.”

Behind 26 points by sophomore Jason Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape), the Broncs staged another great comeback before falling to the top team in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, Iona.  “I’m very proud of our kids,” said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey.  “It would have been so easy to pack it in for the season with the top team in the league coming in and we get down early. They’ve never given in and that gives me a lot of pride in them.”

Despite 17 points each from junior Terrance Mouton (Lafayette, LA/Acadiana) and sophomore Jason Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape), the Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game to Siena Sunday afternoon in a game televised on the Madison Square Garden Network. “Siena was just too quick for us today,” said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey.

Despite 26 points and 11 rebounds from senior Edwin Muniz (Passaic) the Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game at Marist Wednesday.  “Edwin played great, but overall our offense failed us tonight,” said Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey.  “We focused on defense and rebounding coming in, and those areas showed up tonight.”

Nothing like positive reinforcement to cure what ails you.  Junior Terrance Mouton (Lafayette, LA/Acadiana) suffered one of the worst shooting games of his career on Friday (0 for 12 from the field, 0 for 7 from three-point range), but after looking at some of his better games on tape, scored 17 points on Sunday, making all six of his foul shots, and grabbed five rebounds, to lead Rider to a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victory over Canisius Sunday.

The Broncs came back from a nine-point deficit with just 6:30 left in the second half to send the game into overtime before losing a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game at Fairfield Friday. “One constant this year is that we won’t quit,” said Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey.  “We kept battling.”

The "Rider Basketball Radio Show" featuring Rider University men's interim basketball coach Tommy Dempsey, continues Tuesday night at the Bronc Diner, located on the campus of Rider University, next to Alumni Gym.  The show starts at 7:00pm and can also be heard live on WBUD, 1260AM.

The Rider University basketball team will travel to Boston to take on Northeastern University in the final non-conference game of the regular season, on Saturday, February 18 at 1:00pm.

Robert Taylor grew up in Philadelphia, played some of his high school basketball in South Jersey, then spent four years at Rider University, where he helped the Broncs to a share of the MAAC title his senior year.

The Broncs went to the well once too often. After coming back from double digit deficits in three of the last four games, the Broncs couldn’t overcome a 15-point halftime lead by Niagara in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference loss Sunday. “It is tough to play from behind when you are not playing well, and today we didn’t have our ‘A’ game going,” said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey.

The Broncs trailed by 10 points two minutes into the second half, and had Canisius right where they wanted them.  “With all of these comebacks we’ve had, we are at a point where the team is unfazed when we are behind,” said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey, who guided Rider to its second consecutive victory, third in the last four games.  "There are a lot of peaks and valleys in a basketball season, and we’re starting to peak at the right time.”

Life in the MAAC. When the ball is tipped off, the standings don’t matter. “We expected to win tonight,” said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey. “We knew the students would be back. In this league you have to protect at home to get things rolling. Our confidence is building. No one in our locker room expected us to lose tonight.”

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference announced the members of the league’s 25th Anniversary Men’s Basketball Teams.

Apparently, lightning does not strike twice. After coming back from a 20-point first half deficit in a victory over Niagara on Friday, Rider tried to come back from a 19-point second half deficit on Sunday before falling at Loyola in a televised Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game. “We’re playing good basketball right now,” said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey.  “We just dug ourselves too big a hole to climb out of.”

Sophomore Jason Thompson (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and senior Paul Johnson (Virginia Beach, VA/Salem) added a career-high 21 points to lead Rider to a come-from-behind Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference win over Niagara Friday. “I feel a lot of pride in my team right now,” said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey.  “To believe in each other and come back and get that win, it was a testament to their character.”

The Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game to Marist Sunday afternoon. “One thing the game of basketball has taught me,” said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey, “is that winning and losing are both temporary. How you react to both sometimes is the difference in what your team becomes.”

By ADAM ZAGORIA
HERALD NEWS

Edwin Muniz found himself and his Rider University teammates in a tough game early in the second half at Monmouth last month when he said to himself, "Man, somebody has to step up."

The Broncs lost a tight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game at Manhattan Friday.  “I really feel this team is beginning to play well,” said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey.  “Right now Manhattan is the best team in the league and we were able to hang with them for 40 minutes.”

The Broncs lost to Fairfield in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game at Rider Tuesday. “I thought it was a very well played game, and I’m proud of the way we played,” said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey.

The Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game against Siena, played at the Pepsi Arena Saturday. “It was bad from start to finish,” said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey.  “That was an ‘A’ performance by Siena, give them credit, but I’m not happy with the way we played today.”

Krystle Daniels of the indoor track & field team, and Edwin Muniz of the basketball team, were named the Rider University Athletes of the Month for all competition in December.

Despite a career-high 28 points by sophomore Jason Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape), the Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game in overtime at Saint Peter’s Wednesday night. “This was Rider-Saint Peter’s at its finest,” said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey.  “I don’t know if there was a better game played in the country tonight.”  Thompson added 11 rebounds for his third ‘double-double’ of the season and eighth of his career.

Rider fell to host College of Charleston Friday in the championship game of the Charleston Holiday Classic. C of C is now 23-1 in its own tournament, the only loss coming to Rider in 1997 when the Broncs won this tournament. “I’m very proud,” said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey.  “We competed very well.”

Sophomore Jason Thompson (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) scored 15 points, 13 in the second half, and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Rider to victory over LIU in the first round of the Charleston Holiday Classic, hosted by the College of Charleston.  Rider will now play in the championship game Friday at 7:30 pm against the host team, College of Charleston.  C of C defeated Longwood Thursday night.  “We came here to play in the finals, and we are,” said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey.

An old basketball adage states that whoever wins the first five minutes of the second half usually wins the game. If that had held true Wednesday night, the Rider Broncs would have stunned the college basketball world. “I thought the character of our kids was obvious to get the score back to within 11,” said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey.   “I was just thrilled with the way we competed.”

Lamar Johnson, a freshman guard on the Rider University basketball team, was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week for all games played November 21-27.

Senior Edwin Muniz (Passaic) scored 18 points and grabbed five rebounds, and sophomore Jason Thompson (Mt. Laurel/Lenape) added 17 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots to lead Rider to an exhibition victory over Division III Albright College Saturday. But it was the freshmen guards who stole the show.  “Jason and Ed were solid, they led us in a positive direction,” said Interim Head Coach Tommy Dempsey, “and the freshmen guards (Rodney Pierce and Lamar Johnson) played well. For their first game they looked like they belonged out there.”

Five athletes from five different sports will be inducted into the Rider University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006.  Terrance Armstrong ’94 from the cross country and track & field teams, wrestler Francis Dunn ’97, softball player Colleen Fox ’99, baseball player Ed Horowitz ’89, and basketball player Mark Wilcox ’94 will enter the Athletics Hall of Fame in a ceremony scheduled for February 4, 2006.

Every kid who has ever made a lay up or shot a three-point field goal has at one time or another dreamed of playing in the National Basketball Association. Dreamed of "Being Like Mike." For 2005 Rider University graduate Steve Castleberry, that dream just got a little closer to becoming a reality. On October 4 the Philadelphia 76ers began their preseason training camp at Duke University with Castleberry on their roster.