QUICK HITTERS

•  Toledo tips off its 102nd season of men's basketball on the road with its first meeting ever against defending Atlantic 10 Conference champion Saint Joseph's (28-8) on Saturday, Nov. 12. Tip-off time is set for 7:00 p.m. in Michael J. Hagan Arena.

•  The Rockets are returning three starters in 2016-17 with senior guard Jonathan Williams leading the way after ranking third in the MAC with 17.6 points per game. Williams will be joined by classmates Zach Garber (6.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg), Jordan Lauf (4.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg) and Steve Taylor, Jr. (sat out 2015-16 after transferring from Marquette). UT also have a pair of sophomores returning, Nate Navigato (8.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and Jaelan Sanford (8.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg), who were key contributors last season.

•  Williams was named to the Preseason All-MAC West Division after earning third-team All-MAC honors a year ago. The Southfield, MI native scored 14 or more points in all but three games in 2015-16 (including 13 20-point outings) and enters his final campaign as a Rocket with 1,129 career points.

•  Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk is entering his seventh season at UT and has orchestrated a dramatic turnaround since his arrival in 2010. He has guided the Midnight Blue and Gold to a 98-65 (.601) win-loss mark over the last five years, including back-to-back 20-win campaigns in 2013-14 and 2014-15. Toledo also has registered 64 victories over the last three seasons, a total that ranks second among Mid-American Conference members.

•  Toledo has been tabbed to finish fourth in the MAC's West Division this year by the league's head coaches and media with 100 points and one first-place vote. Eastern Michigan was predicted to win the West with 178 points and 16 first-place tallies, while Akron was picked as the East Division winner with 194 points, just ahead of Ohio's 190 points. The Zips were pegged to win the MAC Tournament by 15 of 36 voters.

•  Saint Joseph's has reached the NCAA Tournament in two of the last three seasons and advanced to the second round last year with a 78-76 victory over Cincinnati.

•  The Hawks will need to replace their top three scorers from a year ago, including Atlantic 10 Player of the Year DeAndre Bembry (17.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 4.5 apg) and the Atlantic 10's Most Improved Player, Isaiah Miles (18.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg). Junior forward James Demery (8.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg) and junior guard Shavar Newkirk (8.0 ppg, 2.6 apg) are SJU's top returning scorers.

•  The Rockets open their home season on Tuesday, Nov. 15 vs. Youngstown State at 8:00 p.m. The contest will be the second game of a doubleheader following the UT women squad's matchup vs. Rhode Island at 5:30 p.m.

A LOOK AT THE ROCKETS

      Toledo returns six letterwinners, including three starters, in 2016-17 from last year's 17-15 squad that posted the Rockets' fifth-straight winning season under Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk.

      UT finished 8-10 in conference play last year and were just two games behind MAC West Division co-champions Ball State and Central Michigan.

      UT has been tabbed to finish fourth in the West this season in the MAC Media and Coaches Poll, trailing Eastern Michigan, Ball State and Northern Illinois in the preseason prognostications.

WHAT'S RETURNING FOR THE ROCKETS

      Toledo welcomes back 58.9 percent of its scoring, 59.4 percent of its rebounding, 48.6 percent of its assists, 61.0 percent of its steals and 39.1 percent of its blocked shots in 2016-17.