The Hartwick men's basketball team is going deep in 2002-03.

The Hawks return four starters, including all-conference forward Joel Blackwell, and appear to have plenty of depth.

Hartwick, coming off a 4-21 season, opens the season at 6 p.m. Saturday against Oneonta State in the Holiday Inn Tip-Off Tournament.

Senior Blackwell, a 6-foot-5 player who led the team with averages of 15.5 points and 8.4 rebounds last season, was a second-team Empire 8 All-Conference selection.

He's joined up front by 6-5 senior forward Nate Cramer, who averaged 13.2 points and 6.9 rebounds last season.

At center, 6-8 sophomore Brad Huffaker and 6-4 classmate Bill Lanchantin will compete for minutes.

In the backcourt, 6-5 junior shooting guard David Orr will be welcomed back after missing all but two games last winter with a knee injury. Orr, the Empire 8's Rookie of the Year in 2000-01, averaged 12.5 points before the injury and is a 3-point shooting threat.

Ira Wiley and Mike Leighton figure to platoon at the other guard. Senior Wiley started 10 games last season and averaged 3.5 points. Sophomore Leighton played in 20 games and averaged three points.

Senior swingman Mike Shultis, a Delhi graduate, averaged 11.5 points last season and is one of the team's top outside shooters. He hit 43 of 123 shots from behind the arc last winter.

Head coach Tim McGraw has six freshmen who will vie for playing time, including Franklin graduate Justin Worden and 6-1 guard Tony Muraca.