The Panther men’s basketball team will have more new players (eight) than last year’s win total (six).

“We will be moving into next year without a senior on the roster,” Mike Miller said.

Miller, the Panthers head coach, will be announcing the late results of his recruiting class late this week and said that he was very excited to officially get the signatures on the National Letter of Intents. Due to NCAA restrictions of the recruiting “dead” period that started Monday morning, Miller was unable to talk about the specific individuals the Panthers had been recruiting.

“The kind of guys we’re bringing in, it’s important to realize that they have been winners before they got here,” Miller said. “We need to bring that type of environment here.”

Miller said this recruiting class, which already includes 6-foot-2 Chicago guard Kijaune Leach, 6-foot-8 forward Justin Brock from Liberty and 6-foot-8 Indiana prospect Bobby Jolliff will be the measuring stick what he’s trying to build at Eastern.

“This is the most important group that we’re bringing in,” Miller said.

After a 6-21 debut season with the Panthers, Miller said the strength and conditioning sessions this spring would be “the most important phase of the development process” for this roster of young players.

Strength and conditioning coach Matt Turner has been leading the daily sessions, which have included four daily weight room routines along with two hours of instruction per week.

“Those guys are aware they need to improve to play physical Division I basketball,” Turner said. “We are trying to create an attitude and expectations in this group.”

Mike Robinson and George Tandy have been doing well in the weight room according to Turner.

Tandy, the 6-foot-8 forward, has had a problem gaining strength and weight to his 195-pound frame.

“George doesn’t realize how good and strong he could be,” Turner said. “I think when he sees the training numbers he puts up before he leaves this semester, he’ll have so much confidence. The problem with him is his fast metabolism so it’ll be hard for him to gain five pounds this semester.”

Robinson has apparently taken the confidence from his OVC Freshman of the Year award and worked in the off-season in order to avoid regressing in a sophomore jinx situation next season.

“Mike is already a ball of muscle and he’s added to what he already had when he came here,” Turner said.

Three players from this past year’s Eastern team will not be returning to Lantz Arena for the upcoming season. Sophomore center Wes Wilkin, sophomore forward Bil Duany and freshman guard Kyree Brown will not be on the team next year.

Wilkin, the Michigan native, will remain at Eastern but due to consistent back injuries has decided to leave the team. Duany and Brown are transferring in hope of getting more playing time.

“We wish these guys nothing but the best and it’s unfortunate that it didn’t work out for them here,” Miller said. “Hopefully, Bil and Kyree will get an opportunity to play somewhere else.”

The final issue Miller addressed was how he and his staff are working to give this young team confidence early in the season. Part of their plan, Miller said, is to play more early home games at Lantz Arena. With a guarantee game already scheduled at DePaul and two Bracket Buster games in place for the Panthers, Miller is left with a handful of open games.

“We need to play more games here early,” Miller said. “That schedule last year was not balanced and, in fact, I challenge that nobody had an opening 10 games like we did.”