Hampden-Sydney, Randolph-Macon Round Out Top Three
SALEM, Va. --- The 2005-06 NCAA Division III
basketball season ended with Virginia Wesleyan College standing
atop the podium as the national champion, and the same is true for
many national media outlets and their respective preseason rankings
as the start to the 2006-07 season stands only a few weeks
away. Coaches within the Old Dominion Athletic Conference
(ODAC) are on the same page with many of the nationwide predictions
as the Marlins hold the top spot in the annual ODAC Men's
Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll.
Virginia Wesleyan picked up nine of ten first place votes in the
annual survey of the league mentors, with Hampden-Sydney College
earning the lone remaining top nod and sitting in second in the
preseason poll. Randolph-Macon College, last season's ODAC
runner-up and NCAA tournament qualifier, rounds out the top
three.
The Marlins come into the season armed with most of their
components intact from last season's national title squad including
2006 NCAA Division III Player of the Year, senior Brandon
Adair. He and fellow All-ODAC and All-Virginia State
performer TonTon Balenga form a potent 1-2 scoring punch that has
found Virginia Wesleyan atop several national prediction
polls. D-III News, a monthly newsletter for NCAA
Division III basketball, and D3hoops.com both have the
Marlins tabbed to repeat as national champions with VWC garnering
23 of a possible 25 first place votes in the latter's poll.
Hampden-Sydney comes into the new campaign looking to make some
noise at the top of the standings following an 18-8 season that
ended in a 93-82 loss to Randolph-Macon in the ODAC tournament
semi-finals. The Tigers, rated 21st in the
d3hoops.com preseason poll, return all three of their top
scorers from last season in junior forward Troy Kaase (17.4 ppg),
junior guard Drew Prehmus (12.0 ppg), and senior guard Mike Edwards
(10.7 ppg.).
Randolph-Macon looks to make amends for its 81-78 overtime loss to
the Marlins in last season's ODAC championship. The Yellow
Jackets also earned top 25 honors in both the D-III News
and D3hooops.com preseason polls, garnering a
12th and 15th ranking, respectively.
RMC will have to replace the production of former ODAC Player of
the Year, Justin Wansley, and will look to senior forward Phil
Hawley (11.8 ppg, .629 fg%) and 2006 ODAC Rookie of the Year, David
Carlson (8.0 ppg), to help fill that void.
Listed below is the entire 2006-07 ODAC Men's Basketball Preseason
Coaches Poll. For more information on the upcoming season,
and to keep up to date as the schedule progresses, visit the
individual schools at their respective websites or browse the ODAC
men's basketball section at www.odaconline.com.
2006-07 ODAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
(#) indicates first place votes
School |
Votes |
1. Virginia Wesleyan (9) |
98 |
2. Hampden-Sydney (1) |
89 |
3. Randolph-Macon |
81 |
4. Guilford |
70 |
5. Emory & Henry |
52 |
Roanoke |
52 |
7. Eastern Mennonite |
35 |
8. Bridgewater |
32 |
9. Washington & Lee |
28 |
10. Lynchburg |
13 |