On the heels of the 2015-16 regular season, the College of Staten Island men’s basketball program will have plenty to look forward to, and the team added another set of boosts, this time from Hero Sports, as the tandem of Will Fonseca and Frank Schettino have been named two of 10 Preseason All-Americas by the online magazine. Formerly known as BennetRank, Hero Sports is a comprehensive online magazine that ranks all of the nation’s NCAA teams in every sport weekly, as well as spotlight athletes and organizations that promote college athletics nationally. Fonseca’s and Schettino’s honors are the first in CSI history, and the College is the only school to receive multiple citations.
Fonseca is a slam-dunk choice for the honor. The reigning CUNYAC and ECAC Metro Player of the Year destroyed the record books a year ago, and has the school’s all-time scoring and rebounding records in sight. Fonseca averaged 26.1 points and 12.5 rebounds per year ago, dumping in 41 in the ECAC title game before being named its Tournament Most Valuable Player. For Fonseca, the honor is valued, but there is still plenty of work to be done.
“For me it’s all about winning now,” tells the senior forward who scored 732 points last season, a CSI record. “I feel like the sky is the limit with our team. We have a great recruiting class coming in and we have the talent to shock everyone and make a run at a national championship. Being an All-American is a great feeling, but winning is more important. We are confident going in and are anxious to get the season started to show what we can do.”
Schettino has been one of the nation’s biggest offensive catalysts over the past two seasons. His 228 assists a season ago through 29 games are a CSI record, as were his 7.9 assists per game. Schettino also topped out at 494 points a year ago, good for 17.0 clip, while leading the team with 58 steals and 39 three-point buckets. The junior has the school’s all-time assist record in sight this season, and is delighted by the honor and excited at the promise of the new season ahead.
“This honor means so much to me,” Schettino stated. “It is such an honor to be recognized this this and I look forward to living up to the hype and expectations for not only myself, but the ones placed on my team as well. I will do everything I can to lead CSI to the top this year.”
CSI will officially tip off its season against Stockton University on November 18. Their home opener is December 5 against Stevens Institute of Technology. The Dolphins finished 20-9 a year ago, claiming back-to-back ECAC titles.
