Virginia Wesleyan with Eight First Place Votes, Three for H-SC

 FOREST, Va. --- Virginia Wesleyan College picked up eight first place votes towards 98 total points as the Marlins return to the top of the ODAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll for the first time since the 2006-07 pre-campaign predictions.  Hampden-Sydney College sits second with 90 tallies and three top nods.  Just one point separates Guilford College (72) and Randolph-Macon College (71) for third in the annual survey of the league’s head coaches.

The 2010-11 season saw seven of the conference’s 11 teams post winning records, including a trio of 20-plus game winners.  Two programs made a trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament, bringing the ODAC’s total to six participants in the last two years.  Randolph-Macon earned the automatic qualifier after topping Randolph College in the ODAC title game.  Virginia Wesleyan College joined the Yellow Jackets as an at-large selection.  While R-MC bowed out in the second round, the Marlins made their way into round three before falling to national semifinalist Williams College.

Virginia Wesleyan (25-5 overall, 13-3 ODAC in 2010-11) returns a stable full of talent including all five starters from a season ago.  All-ODAC Second Team selections D.J. Woodmore (13.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and Donald Vaughn (11.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 60 blk) lead the way with honorable mention choice Chris Teasley (11.8 ppg) adding more punch.  Tre’ Ford (7.3 ppg, 107 ast, 55 stl) and Chris Astorga (12.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg) complete the Marlins’ potent returning starting five.  VWC has gotten plenty of national attention as the Marlins have been selected #1 in three preseason polls by D3hoops.com, D-III News and The Sporting News.  Woodmore garnered Honorable Mention Preseason All-America honors from The Sporting News.

Hampden-Sydney (17-10, 8-8) has also received some national pub, having been tabbed #23 by D3hoops.com.  Reigning ODAC scoring champ, Harrison George (20.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg), was picked as a Fourth Team Preseason All-American by D3hoops.com, and he joins VWC’s Woodmore as an Honorable Mention Preseason All-American by The Sporting News.  George is one of four returning starters for H-SC, joining Ru White (12.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg), Ben Jessee (10.6 ppg, 50 3fg) and Patrick Corrigan (4.7 ppg).

Guilford (16-10, 10-6) welcomes back All-ODAC First Team choice Josh Pittman (18.1 ppg, 75 3fg), who finished third in the ODAC in scoring in 2011.  Brad Monroe (5.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg) is also back from last year’s starting lineup.  Gabriel Lowder (7.9 ppg) adds extra perimeter scoring to the Quakers’ offense.

Randolph-Macon must replace much of its starting five with only Calvin Croskey (8.2 ppg, 54 3fg) back from that unit.  Adam Desgain (7.8 ppg, 50 3fg) and Lamar Giggetts (5.9 ppg) will be in line for increased roles this season.

Three other members of the 2010-11 all-conference teams return to the hardwood for their respective programs.  From the first team, Nate Campbell (17.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg) finished in the top-10 in both scoring and rebounding.  He looks to lead a Lynchburg College squad that welcomes back all five starters.  Randolph, fresh off its first ODAC title game appearance in just its third year in the league (fourth overall as a program), welcomes back first teamer Colton Hunt (15.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg) as one of three returning starters.  Hunt was second in the ODAC with 60 steals.

Washington and Lee features the return of four starters, including honorable mention choice J.D. Ey (9.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg).  Ey finished second in the conference with a 56.4-percent field goal percentage.

Listed below is the full 2011-12 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.

Don’t forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook.  You can also follow the ODAC on Twitter @odacathletics.  Be sure to check out the ODAC's YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/ODAC1976) and watch an interview with each of the ODAC’s head men’s basketball coaches as they talk about their programs from media day in Salem (videos not live --- to be added after the event).

2011-12 ODAC MEN’S BASKETBALL PREASON POLL
(#) Denotes First Place Votes