"We are really excited about our guys. They all worked extremely hard and come with great energy and enthusiasm each and every day. They are positive individuals and have grown a lot from last year. Their preparation has been outstanding, and they love playing college basketball. We come and compete every day and try to put forth a great effort and prepare with each day."
— Tritons Head Coach, Bryan Galuski '98
TRITON MEN'S BASKETBALL
RETURNERS
DANIEL LOVE (Sr.; G) - Daniel Love joined Eckerd after spending two seasons at Mercer University (Ga.), playing in 57 career games with the two squads. Daniel Love started in 22 games last year, tied for second on the team in scoring while averaging 18.3 points per game. He averaged 5.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.4 steals per game. His steals average ranked 13th in all of Division II. Daniel Love averaged a team-high 36.5 minutes per game, scoring double-digits in all but four games. He posted a career-high 35 points against No. 2 Nova Southeastern (Jan. 29) and tallied two double-doubles against Ashland (Ohio), and Rollins (Jan. 19) with a career-high 13 rebounds against Ashland (Nov. 27). He scored 20 points or more in 10 games and swiped a career-high five steals against Palm Beach Atlantic, dishing out a career-high nine assists in that same game.
DAVID SWEDURA (Jr.; G) - Swedura joined Eckerd after spending his first year at Triton College (Ill.), playing in 32 games averaging 10.6 points and 3.2 assists per game. For the Tritons, Swedura played in all 23 games with 22 starts. He averaged 9.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.8 steals per game while grabbing four steals in three games. Swedura scored a career-high 18 points against Tiffin (Ohio) on Dec. 18. Having 10 games with double-digit scoring figures, Swedura placed second on the team in free throw percentage at a .778 percent clip. He dished out seven assists versus Florida Tech (Feb. 26).
DANTE LOVE (Jr.; G) - Dante Love played his first season for Eckerd 2019-2020 before being sidelined due to injury. In his rookie year, Dante Love appeared in all 28 games off the bench. He averaged 1.8 points, 0.6 rebounds, and 9.9 minutes per game, scoring a career-high seven points against Delta State (Miss.) on Nov. 10. He went 2-for-2 from field goal range and tied his career-high seven points against American International (Mass.) on Dec. 20, going 3-for-4 from the field.
KENT GARARD (So.; G) - Garard made an impact in his freshman year, appearing in 20 games and making his way into the starting lineup for the final 10 games of the season. For the Tritons, he was third on the team in scoring with 9.1 points per game while averaging 5.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. In the final 10 games, Garard averaged 14.1 points per game and 7.1 rebounds. He scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed five steals against Florida Tech on Feb. 26. He posted two double-doubles on the season against Lynn (Jan. 22) and Palm Beach Atlantic (Feb. 4). Garard tied his career-high in rebounds with 11 twice. He had eight games with 10 or more points scored.
JOSHUA GALLOWAY (Sr.; F/C) - For the Tritons, Galloway appeared in 23 games with 13 starts last year, opening the season with a career-high performance in points with 27 and rebounds with 11 on Nov. 10. Scoring in double-digits six times, he averaged 7.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game.
MEKHI PERRY (So.; G) - Perry appeared in 11 games for the Tritons last season with one start. On the season, he averaged 3.5 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. Perry played a season-high 33 minutes against Florida Southern on Feb. 19 and scored a career-high nine points against Embry-Riddle on Feb. 16.
DAIMAR DYALL-RICHARDS (So.; G) - For the Tritons, Dyall-Richards appeared in nine games with two starts last year. He averaged 5.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 25.4 minutes per game. Dyall-Richards scored a career-high 15 points against West Alabama on Nov. 11.
ROQUE ROSARIO (So.; F/C) - Rosario looks to make an impact this season for the Tritons. During his prep at Oldsmar Christian High School, Rosario averaged 13.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 4.0 blocks during his senior season. He was also selected to the SIAA/FSHAA All-Star game.
TRITON MEN'S BASKETBALL
NEWCOMERS
CARR THIAM (So.; G) - Thiam comes to the Tritons from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, where he started all 17 games his freshman season. He averaged 13.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. Thiam tallied a career field goal percentage of .409 and a free throw percentage of .742.
JORDAN KWIECINSKI (Jr.; F) - Kwiecinski comes to Eckerd after playing at Drake University. At Drake, Kwiecinski appeared in eight games, averaging 1.1 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. He scored a career-high five points and blocked two shots in the Bulldogs' win over Saint Ambrose.
DANTE BOUCHARD (Fr.; PG) - Bouchard joins the Tritons after playing at Gloversville High School and attending Mount Saint Mary’s University. He was a two-time Foothills MVP recipient and a three-time News Channel 13 All-Star.
COOPER ELLIS - (Fr.; PG) - Ellis comes into his first season at Eckerd. He played basketball at Sante Fe Catholic High School and McKeel Academy of Technology, where he received first-team all-county honors and was the leading scorer for basketball.
JP HAGGARTY (Fr.; G) - Haggarty comes into his first season of Eckerd from Lake Norman Christian School in Charlotte, N.C, where he received first-team all-conference honors for four years.
MARCUS MARRUFO (Sr.; F) - Marrufo enters his first season of Eckerd basketball after prepping at Instituto Gardner in Cozumel, Mexico. He led his team to the Mexico Regional Championship title, posting the most rebounds in school history.
BRYAN GALUSKI
Bryan Galuski '98 enters his fourth season as head coach of the Tritons. He is only the third permanent head coach in the long, storied history of Tritons men's basketball. A 1998 graduate of Eckerd, Galuski was a four-year member of the Tritons men's basketball team and was instrumental in the 1994-95 team that won the program's first-ever Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Regular Season Championship. A two-year captain, he was named both all-conference and all-region during his time as a Triton. Last season, Galuski coached Gianfranco Grafals to All-SSC Newcomer Team honors. Prior to Eckerd, Galuski spent the previous 14 years at NCAA Division III Greensboro College in Greensboro, North Carolina, as the head men's basketball coach. He also served in a dual role as athletic director for the last four years of his tenure. Between the two programs, Galuski has amassed 198 victories. Galuski was inducted into the Upstate New York Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
Galuski is assisted by Chakiris Moss, Damian Dixon, and Walter Brady.
Moss joined the Triton coaching staff in the summer of 2020. He previously spent two seasons at Virginia Tech. He also served as the head assistant coach at Louisburg College (NJCAA) in North Carolina and as an assistant coach at his alma mater Greensboro (NC) College, from 2013-2017, where he coached alongside Galuski. Dixon also coached alongside Moss and Galuski at Greensboro, from 2014-2017. Brady joins the Tritons bench for his first season after coaching basketball at Gibbs High School.
"I think we have a great collection of guys that are going to give the Tritons a great opportunity this year to succeed. To have a strong culture, it takes individuals willing to listen and understand what is at stake, and they do. That is what I am really most proud of, how our locker room has come together. We have fierce competition on the floor and we, as a staff, have tried to impress upon them how important being together and working hard is to our outstanding team culture."
— Tritons Head Coach, Bryan Galuski
2022-23 MEN'S BASKETBALL QUICK LINKS
EC tips off its season at home against conference opponent Lynn on November 19th at 5:00 PM in the McArthur Center. They start the season on a four-game homestand hosting the Eckerd Thanksgiving Classic.
Eckerd was slotted at No. 11 in the Sunshine State Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Poll, as the Tritons look to make some noise in the standings this season.