As UT Arlington coach Scott Cross looks to the 2009-10 season it will be a different view for his Mavericks.

Cross, who will be in his fourth year as the Mavericks head coach, has talent in returnees Marquez Haynes who was a second-team all-conference selection, fifth-year senior Brandon Long and senior forward Tommy Moffitt. However he will have to deal with the departures of first-team all-conference forward Anthony Vereen and two guards - Roge'r Guignard and Jeremy Smith - who were starters for most of last season.

The Mavericks were one of the top scoring teams in the Southland in 2008-09, leading the league in scoring in conference games at 79.0 points per game. Overall, UTA was 24th in the nation in scoring. The team should again be among the league's scoring leaders, but they must be better on defense end after allowing 74.1 points per game last year.

Haynes is the top returnee for the Mavericks after enjoying a solid first season with UTA after transferring from Boston College. The senior averaged 16.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game last season and ranked among the conference leaders in those categories plus free throw shooting (79 percent) and minutes played (32.2).

Long also returns to provide the Mavericks with a true outside option. The senior averaged 12.7 points a year ago and connected on 57 three-pointers.

Senior Dwight Gentry returns to the backcourt and will be joined by Jon Miller who sat out his freshman season as redshirt last season. Gentry appeared in 12 games last season as a walkon but has been put on scholarship for his final year. Miller did appear in four games last year before suffering an injury that kept him out the rest of the season.

Moffitt is back for his senior season to anchor the front line. The 6-foot-4-inch forward averaged 7.5 points and 6.4 rebounds a contest in 30 games last year. Cross will look to him to help pick up the rebounding with Vereen now gone.

Sophomore LaMarcus Reed came on at the end of the season to provide a spark for the Mavericks. He more than doubled his season's scoring output during the last 10 games and Cross is counting on him to play an even larger role this season.

Other returnees to the front line are junior Trey Parker, senior J.D. Davis and sophomore Ismael Awange. Parker is one of the top shot blockers in the conference and improved his offensive skills last season. Off-season knee surgery may slow his return to the court. Davis is an undersized forward but he did play in 28 games last year as a junior college transfer and showed he can score and rebound when called on.

Cross and his staff recruited, what many believe, to be a recruiting class that will immediately pay dividends. Guard Cameron Catlett is known for his defensive and ball-handling abilities while another guard, Bryant Smith proved during his high school career in Chicago that he can score. Forward Jordan Reeves, at 6-foot-10, should also see some minutes on the front line.