FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 27, 2015
Falcons, Owls Picked by NE-10 Coaches to Win Respective Divisions
MANSFIELD, Mass. – Bentley and Southern Connecticut were picked to win their respective divisions in the 2015-16 Northeast-10 Men's Basketball Coaches' Poll, it was announced by the conference office on Tuesday.
The Falcons topped the Northeast Division with 86 points and three first-place votes, while the Owls claimed the top spot in the Southwest Division with 80 points and eight first-place nods.
For complete results of the coaches' poll, please see below.
Southern Connecticut won the Southwest Division crown last season after going 16-4 in conference play and made a run in the NCAA Tournament before falling to Southern New Hampshire in the East Regional Championship Game. Bentley went 10-11 in NE-10 play a season ago, but the Falcons return All-Conference members Tyler McFarland and Keegan Hyland for 2015-16.
Only six points separated the top four teams in the Northeast Division, while five different teams earned first-place votes in the division. Despite garnering fewer points than Bentley, both Merrimack (2nd – 83 pts.) and Stonehill (3rd – 81) collected four votes for first place each.
Defending Northeast Division and East Regional Champion Southern New Hampshire came in at No. 4 with 80 points and three first-place votes, while Saint Anselm garnered the lone other vote for the top spot along with 63 points. Assumption and Franklin Pierce tied for sixth with 28 points, and Saint Michael's followed with 27.
In the Southwest Division, Southern Connecticut edged out defending NE-10 Champion American International by just one point. The Yellow Jackets collected 79 total points and five first-place votes, while Saint Rose was third, garnering the other two first-place nods along with 73 points. New Haven came in at No. 4 with 52 points, followed by Le Moyne (5th – 38 pts.), Adelphi (6th – 34) and Pace (7th – 15).
Two NE-10 All-Conference First Team members return for the 2015-16 season in Merrimack's Gelvis Solano and Southern New Hampshire's Rodney Sanders. Other familiar faces slated to return this season include Northeast-10 Championship Most Valuable Player Cameron Dobbs of American International and NE-10 third-teamers Michael Mallory from Southern Connecticut and Ryan Logan from Stonehill.
The 2015-16 season is set to officially begin on Nov. 13. The Northeast-10 Championship will start with first round games on Friday, Feb. 26, followed by the quarterfinals on Sunday, Feb. 28 and semifinals on Wednesday, March 2. The Northeast-10 Championship Game is slated for Saturday, March 5.
2015-16 Northeast-10 Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
Northeast Division
1. Bentley - 86 (3)
2. Merrimack - 83 (4)
3. Stonehill - 81 (4)
4. So. New Hampshire - 80 (3)
5. Saint Anselm - 63 (1)
t-6. Assumption - 28
t-6. Franklin Pierce - 28
8. Saint Michael's - 27
Southwest Division
1. So. Connecticut - 80 (8)
2. American Int'l - 79 (5)
3. Saint Rose - 73 (2)
4. New Haven - 52
5. Le Moyne - 38
6. Adelphi - 34
7. Pace - 15
(#) – indicates first-place votes
ABOUT THE NORTHEAST-10
The Northeast-10 Conference is an association of 15 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,500 student-athletes.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE-10 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 Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
