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Friday,
October
26, 2001 HICKORY,
N.C. – The Blue Hose of Presbyterian College, last
season’s Food Lion South Atlantic Conference
Tournament runnerups, were picked third for the 2001-021
South Atlantic Conference men’s basketball title
following a vote of the league’s coaches, it was
announced earlier this week. The announcement came at
the annual SAC Basketball Press Conference held at the
Holiday Inn Select in Hickory, N.C. Presbyterian College was
picked to finish third, garnering 45 points, edging out
fourth-place pick Carson-Newman, which had 43 points.
The Blue Hose, who fell in the Food Lion SAC Tournament
championship game to Catawba College, will count on
preseason All-SAC guard Chuck
Rayford to make another run at the top of the
standings. Rod Isom, who
led the conference last season in field goal percentage
and was named preseason All-SAC, also returns for the
Blue Hose. PC will rely on three starters and nine
letterwinners returning from last season’s 19-10 team. Catawba picked up six
first-place votes and 62 total points. Catawba lost just
one starter from last year’s championship team, but
that was leading scorer Nedzad Gusic, a second-team
All-SAC selection. Returning for the Indians are Brian
Carter, another second-team All-SAC choice last year and
a preseason first-team selection this year. The Indians
also will look to last year’s Food Lion SAC Tournament
MVP Kevin Petty, Alex Luyk and Duke Phipps, who were
members of the All-Freshman team last season. The
Indians are also excited about the return of Terrence
Hamilton, who was the team’s leading scorer and
rebounder before an early-season injury sidelined him
for the remainder of the season. Wingate University, last
season’s regular-season co-champion, was picked to
finish second. The Bulldogs picked up the other two
first-place votes. Wingate returns 11 letterwinners from
last year’s 25-5 team, including leading scorer Djuan
Hankins. Hankins is on the preseason All-SAC team and is
a preseason All-America selection by Street & Smith.
The Bulldogs also return senior point guard Lorinza
Harrington, who ranked ninth in the country in assists,
and sophomore guard Keenan Dunn, the 2001 SAC Freshman
of the Year. Carson-Newman returns
preseason All-SAC Kyle Gribble. Gribble led the SAC in
rebounding last year. Lenoir-Rhyne is picked to finish
fifth. The Bears return just two starters from last
year’s squad. Newberry finished with 23
points and is picked to finish sixth. The Indians
feature All-SAC forward Alex Fair. Tusculum College and Mars
Hill College round out the poll.
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