ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - At first, people in the Stevenson Athletic Center didn't know what to make of it.

There was something incredibly noisy going on in the gym. Yelling, screaming, applause ... only there were no events scheduled for that early in the morning.

Turns out it was a men's basketball practice.

Things have changed at Bard. With seven returning veterans and a talented group of 11 freshmen, the vibe around the program is upbeat and energetic, and that describes the practices and scrimmages during the preseason as well.

"The biggest thing that has changed from last year to this year is the level of competitiveness at practice," said fifth-year head coach Adam Turner. "It's really hard to run a practice with eight players out there. Now, you have to earn your way onto the court in practice. Being on the court in practice is a privilege, and it's earned.

"If you don't bring your A game to practice every day, guaranteed someone else will, and you'll be sitting on the side," Turner concluded.

Several veteran players return, led by seniors Lamar Powell and Ben Kane. Big men Siondueh Burnette, Berk Atuk and Brandon Cunningham are back, as are guards Chris McNaughton and Pat Lichtenstein.

Everyone else will wear Bard's black and white for the first time this weekend, when the Raptors play in the Coaches vs. Cancer Tip-Off, hosted by Connecticut College.

"With the added depth, it changes the way we play," Turner said. "We had several games last year where we just wore down by the end. Having enough people and energy to complete games was something we had to manage carefully.

"Now, we can put more into place defensively," he added. "And we can dictate tempo, rather than having it dictated to us."

Several freshmen will be part of Bard's rotation right away, as Bard will play three games in four days starting on Saturday.

"It's nice to have a group that is fully invested in what we do and how we do it," Turner said. "We were careful and specific with our recruiting. We were looking obviously for playing ability but also for certain personality types; kids who fit into our evolving culture. They are an incredibly talented group of guys who are all gym rats."

Bard was picked to finish last in the Liberty League in a preseason poll of the coaches.

"There are three teams that return the most talented players: Skidmore, Hobart and Clarkson," Turner said. "Outside of those three, I think it's pretty wide open. That fourth playoff spot is going to go to the team that clicks down the stretch of a tough two months."

The season opens on Saturday night at 6 against host Connecticut College in New London, Conn. Suffolk University and Western New England University are on the other side of the bracket.