GAME NOTES: After a disappointing loss in the Horizon League Tournament last season, the Cleveland State Vikings will try to start anew as they open the 2014-15 campaign with a trip to face the Iona Gaels in a non-conference clash at Hynes Athletic Center.

Cleveland State ended the 2013-14 season with a respectable 21-12 overall record and a 12-4 mark in conference play, but the Vikings were dropped out of the conference tournament earlier than expected, leaving them on the outside looking in when it came to the Big Dance.

Iona starred in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference last season, but came up just three points shy in the conference title game to Manhattan, 71-68. The Gaels capped their 2013-14 season with a 22-11 overall record, and a 17-3 ledger in conference play - a six-win increase from 2012-13.

The Vikings hold the edge in the all-time series with Iona, 3-1. These same programs opened against each other almost exactly a year ago, with Cleveland State coming out on top, 73-69.

Coach Gary Waters expects some pretty great things from his Vikings squad again this year, even without Bryn Forbes (15.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg), who transferred to Michigan State in the offseason. It can't be too great of a blow to the Vikings, though, who still return four starters from last season's squad, including Trey Lewis (13.1 ppg, 3.4 apg), point guard Charlie Lee (9.8 ppg, 4.1 apg - missed team's exhibition game due to violation of team rules) and Anton Grady (10.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg). Grady led the team in rebounding a year ago despite suffering a knee injury during his freshman campaign with the Vikings. Key reserve Jon Harris isn't on the roster anymore, but senior Marlin Mason, who started all 33 games in 2013, should be a valuable senior to a squad with just two of them this season.

The Vikings averaged 73 ppg as a team last season, and will need all the help they can get in terms of scoring to keep pace with Green bay, Valpo and a very offensive-driven league. Cleveland State posted 69 points in the team's exhibition game against Malone last week, which saw Lewis net a team-high 27 points, followed by Grady's 18 and nine rebounds. Guard Andre Yates narrowly missed double figures with nine points, but he did register two steals in the win.

Iona had five double-digit scorers on the team's roster a year ago, which helped coach Tim Cluess' squad to the best record in the MAAC. This season will be a bit of a different look for the Gaels, who lost Sean Armand (17.5 ppg, 135 assists) and Tre Bowman (13.9 ppg) in the offseason. Thankfully for Cluess, his roster is still stacked with talent that is returning for another shot at the conference crown. A.J. English (17.2 ppg, 142 assists), David Laury (14.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg) and Isaiah Williams (11.3 ppg) will be the heart and soul of an Iona team that averaged 83.6 ppg as a unit in 2013-14.

Laury is the lone senior on the roster, which means the Gaels will need to make his final season count while also building toward the future. The team's leading rebounder from a year ago will need to reprise that role, especially considering Bowman's 4.5 rpg (second on the team last year) won't be back in the lineup again. Williams, though, averaged 4.0 rpg in 2013-14, so the 6- foot-7 guard should be able to slide into a much larger role this season.

Iona's roster a year ago was the most well-rounded in the MAAC, but the Gaels couldn't get the job done on opening night against the Vikings. This time around, the game is on Iona's home floor, and the Vikings will have to figure out how to survive without their leading scorer Forbes. It should be an offensive contest, but the edge goes to the home squad.