Marlins Earn Nine First Place Votes, Tigers with Remaining Three

FOREST, Va. --- Virginia Wesleyan College stands atop the ODAC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll for first time since the 2012-13 season, earning nine first place votes on the way to 118 total points.  Lynchburg College sits second with 106 tallies, while Hampden-Sydney College is third with 98 points and the remaining three first place votes in the annual survey of the league's head coaches.

The ODAC was again represented by multiple teams in the NCAA Division III Tournament in 2014-15, bringing the conference's national stage competitors to 16 since the 2009-10 season.  Randolph-Macon College captured the ODAC's automatic bid after winning the program's third title in five seasons and sixth overall.  Virginia Wesleyan received an at-large selection, continuing its streak of 11 straight NCAA Tournament appearances that includes the 2006 national championship.

Both R-MC and VWC enjoyed deep runs in the 62-team event, but also had to face each other for a fourth time.  The Yellow Jackets won both regular season meetings and then scored an 81-74 overtime decision over the Marlins in the ODAC title game.  R-MC, which earned a bye past the NCAA first round, topped Catholic University (78-65) in the second round and St. John Fisher College (64-57) in round three, setting a date with Virginia Wesleyan for a spot in the national championship series in Salem.  The Marlins topped John Carroll University (101-86) and William Paterson University (77-74) in the first two rounds, and then got past Dickinson College (75-65) to stage a fourth showdown with Randolph-Macon in Ashland.

After suffering three previous defeats to the Yellow Jackets, the Marlins turned the tide in the fourth matchup, earning a 49-47 win and a spot in Salem.  Virginia Wesleyan met Wisconsin-Stevens Point in the national semifinals and fell to the eventual national champions, 68-59.

For the second straight year, more than half of last year's All-ODAC honorees will be missing as 8-of-18 athletes make their way back to ODAC courts.  Still, the talent in the ODAC remains top notch, as evidenced by a pair of squads earning recognition towards the D3hoops.com Top-25 Preseason Poll.  Virginia Wesleyan opens as the second-ranked team in the country behind D-III runner-up Augustana College.  Randolph-Macon earned 99 points from the outlet's voting contingent, just outside the top-25 as the 26th noted squad.

Virginia Wesleyan (27-6 overall, 13-3 ODAC) begins its drive for a dozen straight NCAA appearances with three starters back, including All-ODAC First Team guard Khory Moore (17.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 59 ast, 78 3fg), who led the ODAC with 554 points scored and 58 steals.  Combo guard Tim Jones (7.6 ppg, 70 ast, 40 stl, 35 3fg) gives VWC a pair of elite playmakers that can create their own offense, while Nick Doyle (7.3 ppg, 43 ast, 48 3fg) adds to the Marlins perimeter punch after leading the ODAC in three-point percentage (48.0%).  Kaelin Poe (4.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 56.8 fg%, 26 blk) will be needed to carry a big load up front following the graduation of Cam Owens and Greg Montgomery.

Three of the ODAC's eight all-conference returners wear Lynchburg (17-10, 9-7) jerseys.  Forward Alex Graves (13.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 53 blk, 55.2 fg%) earned a spot on the All-ODAC Second Team, while forward Austen Arnold (14.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 31 stl, 22 blk, 85.9 ft%) and guard Zack Burnett (13.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 84 ast, 50 stl, 46 3fg) received All-ODAC Third Team recognition.  Point guard Lyndon White (6.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 86 ast, 48 stl) joins Burnett in keying the Hornets' offense, while sharpshooter Daniel Rowe (9.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 49 3fg) shot the three at better than 40-percent.

Hampden-Sydney's (16-11, 8-8) up-and-down 2014-15 campaign featured an eight-game winning streak, with four players that started more than half of the Tigers games back for another run.  That group is led by second team point guard Mike Murray (14.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 107 ast, 46 stl), who led the Tigers in nine different major categories.  Jake Duncan (10.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 52 3fg) flirted with the 40-percent mark from beyond the arc, while Mitch Owens (8.7 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 25 stl) combined with Duncan to hit 89 shots from deep. Guilherme Guimaraes (5.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg) spearheads the frontcourt.

Randolph-Macon (28-3, 16-0) have several standouts to replace from last year's title-winning squad, including 2015 ODAC Coach of the Year, Nathan Davis.  Former Salisbury University mentor Josh Merkel returns to R-MC to take over the reins.  He previously served as an assistant under Davis on the Yellow Jackets' ODAC champion 2010-11 squad.  Guard Lamont Moore (7.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg) is the lone senior on a roster that features 10 underclassmen.  Mike Silverthorn (6.0 ppg, 52 3fg) returns to the starting lineup after shooting 46.4-percent from deep.  Look for forward Michael Taylor (4.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg) to take a step forward this season.

Guilford College (18-9, 10-6) will be without the services of a pair of All-ODAC standouts, including 2015 ODAC/Kurt Axe Player of the Year, Matt McCarthy.  Captains Trever Hyatt (10.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg) and Zach Houston (2.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 76 ast, 26 stl) will lead a young squad that includes 17 underclassmen.  Forward Will Freeman (8.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 50.9 fg%) will provide senior leadership and front line toughness.

Washington and Lee University (11-16, 7-9) features a veteran laden squad, although big man Clayton Murtha (17.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 53.6 fg%) will garner many of the headlines after earning ODAC Rookie of the Year and first team accolades in 2015.  Murtha was second in the ODAC in scoring after leading the league in free throws made (173-of-219). Darren Douglas (6.9 ppg) and Andy Kleinlein (10.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 45 3fg) return as the starting backcourt. Kleinlein led the ODAC in free throw shooting (66-of-72, 91.7%).  Andrew Franz (10.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 89 ast) creates matchup problems with his versatility on offense.

Randolph College (13-14, 6-10) features all five starters from a season ago, led by third team guard Zach Desgain (14.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 95 ast, 38 stl).  Corey Brown (9.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 42 3fg) and Reid Jacoby (4.5 ppg, 68 ast) complete the WildCats three-guard setup, while Gordon Rogo (10.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and Jason Eddie (8.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg) return up front. Rogo led the ODAC in field goal shooting (57.8%).  Seth Wimbish (11.0 ppg, 47 3fg) shot 46.5-percent from three-point range off the bench, second in the conference.

Eastern Mennonite University (17-10, 9-7) and Emory & Henry College (5-21, 4-12) are separated by just one point in the poll, but that appears to be their only similarity on the surface.  All but one starter must be replaced for EMU, while E&H welcomes back all five of its starters that combined to open 122 games on the floor.  The Royals will be led by Jerome Jones (7.6 ppg, 50 3fg), while his brother, Maleke Jones (1.6 ppg, 1.0 rpg), looks in line to run out as the starting point guard. RaShawn Latimer (3.8 ppg) will also look to take on an increased role.  For E&H, Myles Turner (16.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 93 ast, 35 stl) returns after earning third team accolades last season.  Ryan Gravley (9.6 ppg, 65 ast) and Kevin Anzenberger (8.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg) join him in the backcourt with John Shelor (10.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 56 3fg) scoring from the perimeter and Brandon Self (8.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 45 blk) controlling the paint.

Just six points separates Roanoke College (10-16, 5-11), Shenandoah University (4-22, 3-13) and Bridgewater College (11-15, 6-10) from each other.  All three squads have multiple key contributors to replace, including eight combined starters.  The Maroons return John Fitchett (8.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg) and rebounding leader Cameron Smith (6.0 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 31 stl) to the starting lineup, while they'll look for Carter Wright (7.6 ppg) to take on more responsibility this season.  The Hornets return their top-two scorers from a season ago in guards Malcolm Clark (14.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 42 stl) and Aaron Patterson (10.0 ppg, 50 3fg).  A full season from Antwan Pittman (8.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg) will surely provide a boost.  The Eagles will be under new leadership as former Randolph-Macon assistant Shawn Postiglione takes over the lead chair.  Keonte Dennis (3.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 23 blk) and Logan Seacrist (4.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 18 blk) add experience to a roster that features 12 underclassmen, including nine freshmen.

Listed below is the full 2015-16 ODAC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll.  For more information on ODAC men's basketball, visit any of the participating school's websites, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com and view the men's basketball virtual media guide.  The virtual media guide will be updated with interviews featuring the ODAC's head coaches.

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2015-16 ODAC MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL
(#) Denotes First Place Votes