CHARLESTON, S.C.-The Citadel Basketball will hold its first official practice at the McAlister Field House on Friday at 5 p.m.

The 2009-10 Bulldogs will look to become the first team since 1961 to finish with back-to-back winning seasons in Southern Conference action.

SoCon Coach of the Year Ed Conroy returns 11 letterwinners, including three starters, and seven newcomers.

Among the returning starters is Cameron Wells, the  2008-09 CollegeInsider.com SoCon Most Valuable Player. Teammate Zach Urbanus, recently recognized as 37th among the top-50 shooters in NCAA Division I by Fox Sports, brings his sharpshooting skills back to The Citadel lineup.

"This is by far our most veteran team returning," said Conroy.  "We have a large group of guys familiar with our system.  It has been a great fall in terms of physical, mental, and academic development.  I think a lot of this can be attributed to the strong group of returners we have."

The season will tip-off on Nov. 13 when The Citadel hosts Kenyon College (Ohio). The Bulldogs will then welcome Charleston Southern back to McAlister Field House where they defeated the Bucs for the second consecutive time last season.

The Bulldogs will host 16 home games at McAlister Field House, including the College Insider.com Skip Prosser Classic which will include Savannah State, Central Connecticut State and UVA-Wise, adding two more non-Citadel games to be played at McAlister.

Game statistics and a game recap will be available immediately following the match. For more information on Bulldog Basketball or The Citadel Athletics, visit the website.