By Ted Silary
          When basketball coach Bill Dooley notes that everyone is back at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, he's speaking in the literal sense.
          As Dooley well knows, and continues to feel sad about, quality senior guard Luke Mulvaney, who'd been thriving in his transition from wing sniper to floor leader, has been lost to a major knee injury.
          Nevertheless, SCH does return a pair of Division I signees in guard Billy Dooley (American; you-know-who's son) and forward Malik Garner (UMBC) and the role players are older and better polished.
          Does that mean an Inter-Ac League championship?
          Hey, in a season that promises to be extra competitive, it could translate to middle of the pack.
          Malvern Prep, the defending outright champ, returns the league MVP, wing guard Brendan Kilpatrick (Vermont), as well as frisky point guard Steve Perpiglia and forward Tom Pitt.
          Germantown Academy looks to its small-tall combo of guard Nick Lindner and 6-9 Julian Moore.
          TALL is a somewhat relative term, however. At Haverford School, freshly arrived from China, you'll find 7-foot Tao Xu, who was a member of that country's under-19 national team. The most accomplished veteran is guard Zach Thomas.
          Forward Brian Metzler and guard John Moderski are the top returnees at Episcopal Academy and Penn Charter, respectively.
          There are two new coaches, and each was a first team Daily News All-City honoree. In fact, PC's new boss, Lynard Stewart, was the Player of the Year for Simon Gratz in 1994. HS is now being steered by alumnus Henry "Doug" Fairfax ('99).
          The league's annual tipoff tripleheader has been switched from a Saturday to a Friday. Date/site: Jan. 7 at Cabrini College, with games set for 4, 6 and 8.