Thursday, October 31, 2002 

CARSON-NEWMAN COLLEGE PICKED TO CAPTURE 2002-03
SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE MEN’S BASKETBALL TITLE
Blue Hose picked to finish fourth in league regular season race 

HICKORY, NC — The Carson-Newman Eagles, who matched the best conference record in league history a year ago and return four All-Conference players, have been picked to win the 2002-03 South Atlantic Conference men's basketball championship, following a vote of the eight head basketball coaches.

The Eagles received seven first-place votes and 63 out of a possible 64 points.

Carson-Newman returns four starters off last year's team which went 26-5 and fell by one point in the finals of the NCAA South Atlantic Region Tournament.

Leading the way for the Eagles will be All-American guard Kyle Gribble. The Sparta, Tenn., native averaged 16.6 points last season. He was a first-team All-SAC selection and was named MVP of the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference basketball tournament. He is one of four Eagles named to the Preseason All-Conference team. Joining Gribble on the first team is senior center Dustin Edwards. Edwards was a second-team All-Conference pick last year after averaging 11.2 points and six rebounds per game. Todd Lucas, a second-team All-Conference selection a year ago, is on the Preseason All-Conference second team, as is junior guard Calvin Owen. Owen set a Carson-Newman record and tied the SAC record last year with 86 3-pointers.

Catawba College received the other first-place vote and is second in the poll with 50 points. The Indians return forward Brian Carter, a first-team Preseason All-SAC selection, who finished second in the conference in scoring last year. Guard Kevin Petty, the MVP of the 2001 Food Lion SAC Tournament, was named to the second team.

Wingate is third with 48 points. The Bulldogs have not finished lower than second in the conference standings the previous four seasons. Wingate will miss Lorinza Harrington, the 2002 SAC Player of the Year, but the Bulldogs do return guard Djuan Hankins, a two-time All-Conference performer, who is a first-team Preseason All-SAC pick. Keenan Dunn, the 2001 SAC Freshman of the Year, is a second-team selection.

Presbyterian College is picked to finish fourth. The Blue Hose return two first-team Preseason All-SAC picks in guard Chuck Rayford and forward/center Rod Isom. Rayford led the league in scoring last year at 17.4 points per game, while Isom was second in the league in field goal percentage.

Lenoir-Rhyne was tabbed to finish fifth. The Bears will be led by Ryan Pitts. Pitts, a second-team Preseason All-SAC pick, led the conference in blocked shots a year ago.

Picked to finish sixth is Tusculum. The Pioneers led all Division II schools in scoring defense last season under first-year coach Griff Mills. Pat Compton, a second-team All-Conference selection last season, returns for the Pioneers and is a second-team Preseason All-SAC.

Mars Hill, under the direction of first-year coach Terry Rogers, is picked to finish seventh. Newberry also has a new head coach in David Conrady. The Indians will look to try and improve on their eighth-place predicted finish.

 Men's Pre-Season All-Conference
First Team

Kyle Gribble, Carson-Newman
Dustin Edwards, Carson-Newman
Brian Carter, Catawba
Rod Isom, Presbyterian
Chuck Rayford, Presbyterian
Djuan Hankins, Wingate 

Second Team

Todd Lucas, Carson-Newman
Calvin Owen, Carson-Newman
Kevin Petty, Catawba
Ryan Pitts, Lenoir-Rhyne
Pat Compton, Tusculum
Keenan Dunn, Wingate

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