“Nothing happens because of things you did in the past,” Allen said. “You have to establish yourself every year. Every team has to have its own identity. That's what we try to focus on.”

This year's squad will certainly have a different identity. The Cougars graduated six seniors from last year's 20-10 team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Among those who departed were four starters, including First Team All-American guard Jonathan Rumley. Although it's a lot of production to replace, Allen feels this year's team will be able to rise to the occasion as past role players step into more prominent roles and newcomers add something to the mix.

“This year we have a different team in terms of losing six seniors that played a huge role in our program,” Allen said. “We've got a lot of new faces, but at the same time, with the style that we play, we've always played a lot of guys. So we do have a number of guys with experience.”

Seniors Mike Miller, Jeff Wehling and Brandon Malone are a few who will see increased time. Miller, who has been a spot starter in the past, provides the Cougars with experience in the post, while Wehling has seen his playing time increase each season. Malone missed most of last season after suffering an injury, but he saw a lot of playing time as a freshman and sophomore.

“We've got some seniors that have been contributors to our program, and that's nice to have,” Allen said.

Averett also returns a solid sophomore class that includes guys like 2008 USA South Rookie of the Year Kenny Hart, as well as Ruben Pierce, Victor Cortes and Chris Pagentine. Hart was an instant impact player as a starter last season. Pierce was the team's sixth man, and Cortes and Pagentine saw their roles as backup players increase as the season progressed.

“Our sophomore class got valuable minutes last year,” Allen said.

Another senior who returns to the team is forward Chad Hardway, who hasn't played since his freshman season in 2005-06. Hardway provides the Cougars with an experienced and physical player in the post.

The Cougars also added a few transfers in the offseason. Leonard Johnson, a 6-foot-8 center joins the team after redshirting last season at Division II Mount Olive College, while 6-foot-3 guard Deran Burns, who played one season of junior college ball, gives the team even more athleticism.

“Leonard is as big a kid as we've had,” Allen said. “That's exciting. He's a big presence in the post at 245 pounds. He has great hands, works really hard and has continued to get better. Deran Burns is another transfer that brings great athleticism and maturity. He's going to be an exciting player for us as well.”

Allen also expects freshmen such as Brandon Douglas, Justin Pierce and Marquis Scott to be among those who will see time this season.

“I do think we have really good depth and solid athleticism,” Allen said. “I'm excited about where the team is right now and how hard  they're working. It's a new team, but it's an exciting team.”

Given the Cougars' style of play, Allen doesn't expect just one or two players to have to shoulder the load left by last year's seniors.

“With our top 11 or 12 guys, we've had a tremendous amount of competition in the preseason,” he said. “I think that's really good. That pushes you to get better and challenges you every day. That's what we're looking for. With our style of play, we're going to play 10 or 12 guys a game. On different nights, hopefully different guys step up. We count on that. I think we have a lot of different guys that are capable of doing that.”

The Cougars have already shown signs of what they're capable of during the preseason. In an exhibition game against Division I Stetson University, the Cougars only lost 70-65. Allen believes he'll know a lot more about his team after the first few weeks of the season.

“Our non-conference schedule is extremely challenging, and we're going to find out in the next two weeks exactly where we stack up,” Allen said.

That stretch begins Wednesday as Averett opens its regular season at Virginia Wesleyan College at 7 p.m.