SLIPPERY ROCK — Slippery Rock University basketball coaches Kevin Reynolds and Bobby McGraw agree on two things.

No. 1: Last season did not live up to expectations.

No. 2: This season will be a bounce-back year.

Reynolds' Rock men finished 14-15 in 2016-17, a rare losing campaign for a coach who has 167 wins in nine years at the helm.

“We always want to be among the best in the country in rebounding and defense,” Reynolds said. “That's been a goal pretty much every year I've been here and that should be the case again.”

SRU allowed a season-low 65 points per game last season and ranked among the top eight nationally in rebounds.

“What we needed this year was more scoring and, hopefully, we went out and got some,” Reynolds said.

SRU opens its season at Glenville State (W.Va.) this weekend in the Jakobi's Journey Basketball Classic against host Glenville and West Virginia Wesleyan.

Among The Rock's new players — only four of the 16 on the roster are returnees — are forward Micah Till and guards Aaron McDonald, De'Shae Lee, Gabe Mack and Bruce Spruell. All five averaged 12 to 16 points per game with other collegiate programs a year ago.

Till averaged 16.3 points and 8.2 rebounds at Harford and was a North Carolina State football recruit at tight end a few years ago. Lee averaged 16.3 ppg. at Garrett, Spruell 12.3 ppg. at American International.

Merdic Green is the top returning scorer for The Rock at 10.8 points per game. Spruell and Mack will be the point guards.

“(Returnee) Khyree Wooten has been our vocal leader in practice so far,” Reynolds said. “We're looking to push the ball significantly more this year. We've got the depth and athleticism to do that.”

On the women's side, Mars graduate McGraw enters his fourth year as SRU head coach. The Rock is coming off a 9-19 season, including a season-ending nine-game losing streak when all-conference point guard Lexi Carpenter had her season cut short by injury.

Carpenter has since graduated, but sophomore forward Brooke Hinderliter (10.5 ppg.), senior guard/forward Mallory Heinle (7.8 ppg.) and junior forward Morgan Henderson (6.9 ppg.) are starters coming back.

Heinle will actually serve as the top player off the bench this season.

“Mallory is a versatile player who will be on the floor quite a bit,” McGraw said. “She may average more minutes than anybody.”

In the five years before McGraw took over as head women's coach, SRU was 25-106. The Rock is 33-50 with one PSAC Tournament appearance under McGraw.

Karns City graduate LeeAnn Gibson, a sophomore forward who averaged 4.6 points and four rebounds per game off the bench last year, is a starter and tri-captain this year.

“She's just a great leader,” McGraw said. “That girl is a winner. She's a warrior. She plays with such tenacity.”

Ciara Patterson, a junior guard and transfer from Wright State, averaged 13 points per game and shot 40 percent from three-point range two years ago.

“Ciara did not play last year for personal reasons,” McGraw said. “Now she's back. She will make a big difference in this team. So will Madison Johnson (sophomore guard and transfer from St. Francis).

Butler graduate Julia Baxter, a transfer from Butler County Community College, will not be playing this year. Two other key bench players are already out with potentially season-ending injuries.

SRU's women are picked sixth in the preseason poll of PSAC West coaches. The Rock opened the season Friday night against Virginia State in Richmond.

“That's probably fair,” McGraw said of the preseason poll. “A lot of the teams ranked above us have practically everybody back.

“Our goal is to get back to the PSAC Tournament and maybe get an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament. The talent is here to do that.”

The Rock men are picked to finish fourth in the PSAC West preseason poll. Indiana, Gannon and Mercyhurst are picked to finish ahead of them.

“Our goals are to make the NCAA Tournament and get to Tuesday,” Reynolds said. “The first two rounds are Saturday, Sunday, then the Sweet 16 is Tuesday.

“That has been elusive to us. We want to get there.”