Commonwealth Conference Men’s Basketball
November 10, 2008
Widener Favored in Commonwealth Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll
ANNVILLE, Pa. – Widener University has been chosen as the favorite to win the Commonwealth Conference crown during the 2008-09 men’s basketball season by the conference coaches in the annual preseason poll. The Pride (23-6, 6-4) received 43 points and six first-place votes. Led by seniors Charles Jones (15.7 ppg), Nyere Miller (12.3 ppg), and Matt Sosna (10.3 ppg), the Pride look to repeat as conference champions and return to the NCAA Tournament for a fourth straight season. Jones was named a First-Team All-Conference selection a season ago. After a victory over Averett University in last year’s tournament, Widener is ranked seventh in the 2008-09 Small College Hoops Preseason Poll and 23rd in the D3Hoops.com poll.
Lycoming (17-10, 7-3) places second in the poll with 34 points.
The Warriors under first-year Head Coach Guy Rancourt look to rebound after last season’s conference championship loss after being the first seed in the conference tournament. The squad brings back first team all conference selection junior Eric Anthony, who placed fourth in the conference with 14.7 points per game. Senior Greg Sye, a second team all conference pick, returns as he posted 10.9 points per game. Classmate Jemayne Nowlin joins Sye in the starting lineup, after his 7.0 points per game in 26 games played.
Tied for third place in the poll is Lebanon Valley with 32 votes and one first-place vote.
The Dutchmen (11-15, 5-5) bring back their two senior guards in Kyle Enoch and Dan Hodge who led the team to a conference playoff berth last season as the fourth seed. Enoch, a second team all conference selection, recorded 12.6 points per contest, good for seventh-best in the conference. Hodge, the 6-3 guard, finished 10th in the conference a season ago, tallying 11.9 points per game in 26 games on the floor. Classmate Eric Humphrey will also add leadership after giving Lebanon Valley 7.1 points per game in 25 games.
Albright (17-9, 6-4) comes in tied for third with Lebanon Valley in the poll with 32 votes.
The Lions try to mirror last season’s second-place finish in the conference but have to replace many standouts from last season. After losing first team all conference selection Albert Medora, who finished fifth in points scored (13.9) and first in rebounds (10.3) per game in addition to Tom Murphy (10.8 ppg), Albright holds onto 6-11 senior center Phil Hall (6.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg) and junior Andre Murphy, who recorded 9.2 points per contest as a second-year guard. The 2008-09 season will mark the 100th year for Lions men’s basketball.
Messiah (15-10, 4-6) comes in at fifth in the poll with 21 points.
The Falcons, finishing just one game back of a playoff spot last year, will be led by senior Jason Miller and juniors Andy Hawk, Josh Curtain, and Jamie Yoder. Messiah loses first team all conference selection Darryl Brown (12.0 ppg) and John Boyd (7.6 ppg). Second team all conference pick Hawk, who ranked 13th in points (10.8 ppg) and sixth in rebounds (5.6 rpg) will be able to pick up where he left off last season.
Elizabethtown (15-9, 2-8 CC) sits in the sixth seed in the poll with 19 points.
The Blue Jays will play this season without graduates Mike Schatzmann and Chad Piersol, both one and two in the conference in scoring a season ago. Both players also finished in the top ten in rebounding as well. Schatzmann, who scored 20.2 points and brought down 5.1 rebounds per game, was named a first team all conference selection in 2007-08. Piersol had similar success, posting 17.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game while being named to the second team all conference squad. Elizabethtown does however return senior Phil Shaffer (4.5 ppg), juniors Mike Church (11.7 ppg) and Chris Fairbanks, and sophomore Keith Fogel (5.9 ppg).
Arcadia (12-13, 6-6) places seventh in the poll with 15 points.
The Knights look to overcome last season’s loss to Manhattanville that would have secured them a playoff berth in the Freedom Conference. Arcadia, while losing Sterling Green, Eric Elliott, and Kevin Brown, bring back seniors Bobby Mulholland Terrell Varnado, Blaise Pepitone, and Damien Palentino. Mulholland led the Knights last season in points scored in the conference (15.3 ppg) while averaging over 30 minutes per start. Green, who was a three-year player for the Knights, finished his career as an Arthur Ashe Jr. Scholar Athlete (716 points, 127 assists, 251 rebounds, 107 steals). In addition, Elliott was a 1,000-point scorer for Arcadia during his career.
Commonwealth Conference Preseason Basketball Poll
1. Widener 43 points (6)
2. Lycoming 34 points
3t. Lebanon Valley 32 points (1)
3t. Albright 32 points
5. Messiah 21 points
6. Elizabethtown 19 points
7. Arcadia 15 points
(first place votes in parenthesis)