HAYWARD, Calif. --- The Cal State East Bay men's basketball team will open the 2013-14 season on the road this weekend with a pair of games at the PacWest/CCAA Basketball Challenge, hosted by Dominican University in San Rafael, Calif. The Pioneers begin their five-game non-conference schedule on Friday at 5:30 p.m. against Academy of Art. On Saturday, East Bay takes on the hosts, Dominican, at 7:30 p.m.

"The next two weekends are going to be a tremendous test for our program," said first-year coach Gus Argenal. "Playing three different regional opponents will give us a taste of what the CCAA will be like week to week. We are excited to compete on the road and begin the journey for this season."

PIONEER PREVIEW
This year's East Bay roster consists of nine returners and six newcomers who will be looking to improve upon last season's 7-19 record and 11th-place conference finish. Of the new arrivals, two are true freshman, one is a junior college transfer, and three are transfers from Division I schools.

The Pioneer backcourt has been an area of strength for the past few seasons, and the team heads into 2013-14 with an extremely deep contigent of guards. Senior Mark Samuels is back this year after missing last season with an injury. He was East Bay's leading scorer in each of his first three seasons and currently ranks fifth in school history with 1,018 career points, seventh with 215 assists, and 10th with 307 rebounds. The Berkeley native was a second-team All-CCAA selection in 2011-12.

Fellow senior Gabe Kindred took over much of the scoring responsibility last year in Samuels' absence. In his first season at East Bay, Kindred led the team with a scoring average of 11.3 ppg. He also paced the squad in steals (36) and free throws (78), while shooting 72.2 percent from the line. Junor Jacari Whitfield was the team leader in minutes played in 2012-13, averaging 29.2 a contest. The 2011-12 CCAA Newcomer of the Year scored 7.0 points per game, knocked down foul shots at a 77.1 percent clip, and led the team averaging 2.9 assists per game. Rounding out the Pioneer returners at the guard position are senior Spencer Britschgi, who hit 7-of-15 three-pointers last year for a 46.7 percentage, and sophomore Ota Okungbowa, who was second on the team in steals (30) and third in rebounding (3.8 rpg).

Coach Argenal also brought in an exciting group of guards to complement these rerturners. Senior Jerramy King joins CSUEB after spending four seasons at Long Beach State. He played in 12 games as a freshman and 22 as a sophomore before redshirting the past two seasons. The Pasadena native, who scored his first collegiate basket against No. 3 Kentucky, brings remarkable athleticism to East Bay. He's joined by another Division I transfer, junior Nick Grieves. A product of Aptos, Grieves played for San Jose State the past two seasons and brings a reputation as a standout outside shooter. The final newcomer in the backcourt is Aaron Cameron, a true freshman from Sacramento. Coming off a season in which he was named League MVP, Cameron is a dynamic scorer with athleticism beyond his 6'0" frame. Freshman Paramvir Singh will also compete for East Bay for the first time this season after redshirting in 2012-13.

The frontcourt was at times an area of concern for the Pioneers last year, but Argenal's group hopes it will be a strength in 2013-14. Senior Ryan Hebebrand is the lone returner from last season's rotation. A Livermore native, Hebebrand averaged 6.3 points per game and was the team's second leading rebounder at 5.1 per contest. He also shot an impressive 62.7 percent from the field, best on the Pioneers. Fellow seniors Donavon Jackson, who played 21 games last year, and Kenneth Farr II, who appeared in 18, also return for their fourth seasons at East Bay. 

The Pioneers have just two newcomers in the frontcourt, but they hope to get significant contributions from both. Junior Darrick McIntosh comes from the College of Marin with a reputaton as a defensive stopper. A 6'8" forward, McIntosh led the Mariners in rebounding and blocks as a sophomore and has a good chance to start regularly for the Pioneers this season. He's joined by true freshman Kyle Frakes, a native of Thousand Oaks. Standing at 6'10", Frakes will look to be a reliable finisher and rim protector down low for East Bay. 

ABOUT ACADEMY OF ART
The Urban Knights were 9-16 a year ago, which included a narrow 77-75 victory over the Pioneers. They're led by 2012-13 PacWest Freshman of the Year Alex Carmon, who posted 14.8 points per game last season. 

SCOUTING DOMINICAN
The Penguins are coming off an excellent season in which they went 16-11 and finished in fifth place in the PacWest. The also beat CSUEB, 81-62, in San Rafael last December. Devin Golston, the team's leading scorer at 12.6 ppg and a second-team All-PacWest selection, is back for his senior year.