FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Coaches Pick Saint Anselm and Southern Conn. State on Top of Divisions in NE10 Men's Basketball.
MANSFIELD, Mass. – Saint Anselm and Southern Connecticut State have been picked as the preseason favorites to win their respective divisions, as the 2018-19 Northeast 10 Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll was released by the league office on Thursday. For complete results of the poll, which is voted upon by the league's head coaches, please see below.
Saint Anselm received 13 first-place votes out of 15, while recording 111 total points to earn the top spot in the Northeast Division by 16 points over second-place Merrimack. The Warriors were the only other team in the division to pick up first-place votes, as they earned a pair as part of a 95-point haul. The Hawks finished as NE10 runners-up last season, falling in the championship game to Le Moyne. Bentley (86) and Stonehill (78) round-out the top four in the Northeast Division.
Southern Connecticut State, a 2017 NE10 quarterfinalist, garnered nine first-place votes in the Southwest Division - on its way to tallying 93 points and a spot atop the Coaches' Poll. Four teams received at least one first-place vote in the Southwest, including three for New Haven - the second-place selection with 77 overall points. Le Moyne (71, one first-place) and Saint Rose (67, two first-place) complete the top-four spots. Just 10 points separated New Haven, Le Moyne and Saint Rose.
The Hawks went 22-9 (15-6 NE10) in the 2017-18 season, with guards Tim Guers (21.5 ppg) and Cody Ball (14.7 ppg) as the top returners from a year ago. Longtime head coach Keith Dickson will begin his 33rd year in charge of the program. The Owls were 16-12 (11-9 NE10) last season and return senior guard Isaiah McLeod, who averaged 20.4 points per game as a junior.
NE10 teams begin the new season on Nov. 9, the official launch date of NE10 NOW - the league's new digital streaming platform. All home and conference basketball games will be streamed for free on NE10NOW.tv. Once again, this year, ten teams - five from each division - will qualify for postseason play. The 2018-19 NE10 Men's Basketball Championship is slated to begin with first round contests on March 1. The 2018 NE10 Men’s Basketball Championship Game will be played on Saturday, March 9.
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 15 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.