Going into the 2007-08 season, Bulldogs coach Ed Conroy knew his team was in for a learning experience.

After all, 13 freshmen on a roster certainly says growing pains.

And there were pains for the Bulldogs, but there was growing as well. The Citadel finished with just six wins, including only one victory in conference play, but the team showed signs of a team on the rise in coming seasons.

The Bulldogs took a hit early when senior Demetrius Nelson, the team's leading scorer at the time, suffered a foot injury in the seventh game of the season and was lost for the year. Nelson is applying for a redshirt and is hoping to compete next season.

Through it all, the Bulldogs kept fighting, playing teams tough for stretches before faltering in one way or another.

But Conroy is looking forward to next season, when, if Nelson returns, he'll have two seniors and 13 sophomores to coach and teach.

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