St. John Fisher Favored in Preseason Men's Basketball Poll
November 12, 2009
ROCHESTER, NY – St. John Fisher College, which won five consecutive conference titles from 2003-2007, was selected to finish first in the Empire 8 Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll. The Cardinals, who received seven first-place votes in the poll, advanced to the conference title game for the sixth consecutive time in 2008 before missing the tournament in 2009.
Senior guard Matt Newman of the Cardinals earned second-team all-conference honors last season and junior guard Ozell Franklin received honorable mention recognition. Newman averaged 10.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game last year, while leading St. John Fisher in assists and steals. Franklin, who shared the 2007 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year honor, led the Cardinals in scoring (12.7 points per game) and three-pointers a year ago.
Defending conference champion Rochester Institute of Technology received the other two first-place votes and is the coaches’ choice to finish second this season. Senior forward Scott Young, an honorable mention all-conference choice last year, is the leading returning scorer for the Tigers. Sophomore Brendan Harder totaled 14 points, six rebounds, and five blocks as RIT edged Western Ontario in an exhibition game.
Ithaca College and Nazareth College tied for third place in the coaches’ preseason rankings. The Bombers, who finished 15-1 in conference regular season play last year and finished a program-best 24-3 overall, graduated two-time Player of the Year Sean Burton. Ithaca and St. John Fisher each received votes in the D3hoops.com preseason poll.
Junior guard Chris Cruz-Rivas is the leading returning scorer and rebounder for the Bombers after earning honorable mention honors in the conference in 2008-09. Sophomore guard Jordan Marcus paced the team in three-point field goal percentage last year.
Nazareth is led by preseason All-American Corey McAdam, a senior guard who has been named to the all-conference first team each of the past two seasons and led the Golden Flyers in scoring (19 points per game), assists (7.6 per game), and steals (2.5 per game). He was nationally ranked in Division III in assists and assist-to-turnover ratio.
Alfred University, which finished eighth a year ago, is the coaches’ pick to move up to fifth place this season. The Saxons return four starters who each averaged in double figures in scoring as well as center Bryan Bobo, who was lost for the year after suffering a foot injury in last season’s season opener. Junior guard Mike Stopera led the team in scoring (13.5 points per game) and senior forward Jared Pratt averaged 12.6 points and a team-leading 4.1 rebounds per game.
Stevens Institute of Technology has been picked by the coaches’ group to place sixth this season. The Ducks, who tied for sixth in the conference last season and earned a spot in the ECAC Metro Championship, will feature eight freshmen and sophomores on their roster this year.
Utica College ranks seventh in the preseason conference poll. The Pioneers finished third a year ago, but graduate three-time first-team all-conference player Doug Herring. Senior forward Patrick Goodman is the leading returning scorer for the Pioneers and received honorable mention all-conference recognition a year ago.
The coaches’ picked Elmira College to finish seventh this year. Senior forward Jon Adamson led the Soaring Eagles in rebounding and earned honorable mention all-conference honors.
First-year head coach Todd McGuinness will take the helm at Hartwick College, which graduated three-time all-conference selection Jan Cocozziello. The Hawks, who return 2008-09 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year Mark Blazek, captured the ECAC Upstate Championship with a win over St. John Fisher in the title game.
The last two Empire 8 champions were picked to finish fourth (Nazareth in 2007-08) and sixth (RIT in 2008-09) in the preseason coaches’ poll.
2009 Empire 8 Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. St. John Fisher College (7 first-place votes) 63 points
2. Rochester Institute of Technology (2) 56
3. Ithaca College 47
Nazareth College 47
5. Alfred University 32
6. Stevens Institute of Technology 27
7. Utica College 24
8. Elmira College 19
9. Hartwick College 9
2008-2009 Empire 8 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Results
First round: Salem State 83, RIT 71
Second round: DeSales 77, Ithaca 71
2008-2009 Empire 8 ECAC Championship Results
Quarterfinals: Rutgers-Newark 91, Stevens 89
Semifinals: St. John Fisher 72, Oswego 71; Hartwick 52, Fredonia 50
Finals: Hartwick 69, St. John Fisher 60