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With the return of two of the top eight scorers in school history and four starters from a 17-11 team, University at Buffalo head basketball coach Tim Cohane is understandably excited about the 1997-98 season.

After two trips to the Mid-Con semifinals in the past three years, Cohane expects his senior class to leave it all on the line during the 1997-98 season. With the return of four senior leaders and a host of talented newcomers Cohane is confident that his team will have "No Regrets" at the end of the season.

The Bulls should have plenty of firepower with the return of their top three scorers from last season ­Rasaun Young (New Rochelle, NY/New Rochelle), Mike Martinho (Rahway, NJ/Union Catholic) and Matt Clemens (Rocky River, OH/St. Edward's) ­with Young and Martinho starting the season among the top 10 scorers in UB men's basketball history.

Cohane, who enters his 16th season of collegiate coaching with a 202-198 record, is confident that this team will be long on desire as well.

"I feel like we're returning more than we lost," said Cohane. "Our players are a year older and the Mid-Continent Conference has never been tougher than right now with the addition of Oral Roberts and Southern Utah. I think Oral and Valparaiso are the teams to beat and the Big 4 teams (Niagara, St. Bonaventure and Canisius) will all be improved.

"We're also playing Seton Hall and Syracuse on the road which will help us down the stretch," Cohane noted. "I have a lot of faith in our seniors. I know they're going to leave it all out there. These guys will carry us as far as we can go ­I don't believe we'll have any regrets."

Rasaun Young certainly couldn't regret much after rebounding from an ankle injury which forced him to redshirt the 1995-96 season, to lead the Mid-Continent Conference in scoring for the regular season. The New Rochelle native finished the season averaging 19.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

A tremendous scorer, Young was in double figures in 27 of 28 games and had over 20 points on 14 occasions. For his play during the Bulls rampage through Western New York, he was named the Big 4 Player of the Year.

Off the court, he was recognized as one of only seven winners of the N4A National Achievement Award winners for a student who has "overcome great personal, academic, and/or emotional odds to achieve academic success while participating in intercollegiate athletics."

Young enters his senior season with 1,354 points, just 479 points behind Jim Horne's all-time school record of 1,833. His 549 points last season was the most ever by a junior and second all-time for a single-season behind John Blalock's 590 in 1991-92.

If Young's power moves make him Mr. Inside, then UB's Mr. Outside is Mike Martinho. Martinho, despite persistent efforts by opposing defenses averaged 16.9 points per game andwas again among the nation's leaders in three-point field goals, ranking 19th in three-pointers per game (3.2).

Martinho connected on 89 three-point field goals and was in double figures 25 times, including a season-high 30 in a huge road win at Western Illinois last season. The school record holder for three-point field goals in a game (10), season (94) and career (246), Martinho enters his senior season with 1,224 points, good for seventh place all time.

Clemens, meanwhile, was at his best during UB's stretch run and appears poised for a big senior season. The Ohio native is an effective scorer, rebounder and defender and is the Bulls' top all-around performer. Last season, Clemens averaged 8.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game and scored in double figures in 11 of UB's final 15 games.

Clemens has the ability to score off the screen or the dribble and gained immeasurable confidence towards the end of last season.

Also back is 6-4 junior Robert Harris (New Rochelle, NY/Archbishop Stepinac), a banger who averaged 7.0 points and is UB's top returning rebounder at 5.8 caroms per game. Harris is an emotional leader who loves to mix it up and has shown increased touch at the offensive end.

In the frontcourt, the Bulls would look for sophomore Zaid Alkhas (Amman, Jordan/Islamik Collegiate)to increase his contributions. Alkhas, 6-9, saw action in 26 of 27 games last season and averaged 3.3 points and 3.1 rebounds while playing just 9.4 minutes per game.

The Jordanian has excellent low-post moves and showed flashes of brilliance last season, including 14 points vs. Morgan State and 13 against Youngstown State. Consistency will be the key to his improvement this season.

The Bulls will also welcome Wichita State transfer Jon Kleidon (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park-River Forest HS) a 6-7 forward who can play both the three and four positions. Kleidon is athletic and has good range on his jump shot but needs to increase his strength to effectively rebound.

Cohane will also have four new faces hoping to make an impression ­led by a pair of all-New Jersey selections.

The first is point guard Ryan Peterson (Clark, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) who finished a storied high school career by leading Seton Hall to its second straight state parochial championship.

Cohane calls Peterson a "prototypical, old-school point guard, he only cares about winning. You can't ask for a better guy as far as ballhandling and passing is concerned and he can make the open shot."

Upfront Tom Gustafsson (Helsinki, Finland/YMCA Lahti) is another versatile player who at 6-7 can play the small and power forward.

"Tom can run the floor, defend and catch and shoot," said Cohane. "He'll challenge for playing time and was a starter for the Under-22 Finnish team in the World Juniors this summer."

At times this season the Bulls may look like the United Nations basketball team, particularly in the frontcourt. Along with Alkhas, who hails from the country of Jordan, UB has also recruited two other foreigners ­6-8 Maliso Libomi (Senegal, Africa), who has spent the past several years living in France, and 6-11 center Nikolai Alexeev (Minsk, Belarus), a member of the Under-22 Belarus national team.

Libomi is an outstanding athlete who must get used to the physical play in the American game. If he adjusts to the physical pounding he has outstanding potential with a soft touch around the basket and tremendous leaping ability.

"Maliso brings us necessary athleticm and because of his athleticism can make plays in transition and block shots," said Cohane.

Alexeev, meanwhile, gives the Bulls their first natural center in the Cohane era at 6-11. He also must make an adjustment to the American game but is not afraid to mix it up inside, has good hands and runs the floor well for a big man.

Also in the mix will be freshman Clayton Lea (Alexandria, VA/ Hayfield HS) who at 6-8, 235 pounds has the frame to bang in the Mid- Continent Conference.

"It may take Clayton a year to adjust to the college game but if he has the persistence that some of our guys have had could be a very good player."

Cohane commented on his team's changing makeup.

"We have a true point guard (Peterson) and a center (Alexeev) for the first time that we've been here, but the interesting thing I see is whether they can mesh in time with our seniors...we're very excited to see how it comes together in our final season in the Mid-Continent Conference.

In summing up his team's prospects, Cohane again commented on his senior class of Young, Martinho, Clemens and McMillin.

"This is the best senior class both on and off the court that I've ever coached," said Cohane. "Combined they have nearly a 3.2 grade point average, are tremendous campus leaders and have character beyond reproach.

"In a day when egos run rampant, they're very humble people. Those are four guys I'd like to have in a foxhole with me,"said Cohane, the decorated war veteran. "If those guys stay healthy they will lead this team to a very successful season."