10-10-08

ANNVILLE, Pa. – The Lycoming College men’s basketball team has been selected to finish second in the Commonwealth Conference, as announced in the preseason poll released by the league office on Monday, Nov. 10.

Widener was selected atop the poll with 43 points and six of the seven first-place votes. The Pride defeated Lycoming in the championship game of the conference tournament last season to advance to the NCAA Tournament.

Lycoming was picked second with 34 points, followed by Lebanon Valley and Albright with 32 points each. The remaining first-place vote went to the Dutchmen. Messiah was picked fifth (21), followed by Elizabethtown (19) and Arcadia (15).

The Warriors won the regular season title last year and will look to carry that momentum into the 2008-09 campaign.

Lycoming, under first-year head coach Guy Rancourt, returns first team All-Conference selection Eric Anthony (Wheeling, W.V.). The junior point guard placed fourth in the conference with 14.7 points per game last season. Senior Greg Sye (Chantilly, Va.), a second team All-Conference pick, posted 10.9 points per game while classmate Jemayne Nowlin (Gaithersburg, Md.) averaged 7.0 points per game in 26 games played.

The Warriors will look to replace Kevin Morris (13.7 ppg) and David Wilson (10.4 ppg), who were two of the top scorers on the team.

Lycoming will open the season with the Lycoming Tip-Off Tournament this weekend, Nov. 15-16, at Lamade Gymnasium.

Scranton will play Hood College (Md.) at 6 p.m. on Nov. 15, followed by the Warriors game against PSU-Hazleton at 8 p.m.

The losers of Saturday’s games will play in a consolation game at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 16, followed by the championship game at 4 p.m.

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)