FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Coaches Pick Le Moyne and Saint Anselm on Top of Divisions in NE10 Men's Basketball
MANSFIELD, Mass. – Le Moyne and Saint Anselm have been picked as the preseason favorites to win their respective divisions, as the 2017-18 Northeast-10 Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll was released by the league office today. For complete results of the poll, which is voted upon by the league's head coaches, please see below.
Le Moyne received 13 out of a possible 15 first-place votes, and 91 points overall as they were a runaway winners in the Southwesti Division. The top two spots in the Northeast Division of the NE10 was separated by one point as Saint Anselm (94) barely outgained Merrimack (93). The Warriors actually received one more first-place nod (7) than the Hawks (6) did in this year's voting. Saint Anselm won last year's NE10 title in front of a capacity crowd at the SNHU Fieldhouse against crosstwon rival Southern New Hampshire. The Penmen were picked third in the Northeast Division, having received 79 total points and the final two first place selections.
The Hawks return the dynamic duo of Tim Guers, pictured, and Cody Ball from last year's title-winning team. Guers was a First Team All-Conference selection, while Ball played his best in the second half of the season last year, and was named the Most Outstanding Player of last year's championship. Le Moyne, meanwhile, returns a veteran group from last year's team, which earned the top seed in the East Regional of the NCAA Tournament. Patrick Beilein's Dolphins return nine seniors from last year's team which won the regular season title in the Southwest Division, but fell in the NE10 Semifinals to eventual champion Saint Anselm.
New Haven (71) followed Le Moyne in the Southwet standings. Spots three through five were separated by three points as Adelphi (57) slighly outgained both Saint Rose (56) and Southern Connecticut (54). Both the Chargers and the Golden Knights received one first-place selection.
NE10 teams begin the new season this weekend with the 2017-18 campaign officially tipping off on Friday. Once again, this year, ten teams - five from each division - will qualify for postseason play. The 2017-18 NE10 Men's Basketball Championship is slated to begin with first round contests on February 23. The 2017 NE10 Men’s Basketball Championship Game will be played on Saturday, March 3.
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.