Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Presbyterian Chosen to Finish Third in SAC Preseason
Men's Basketball Coaches Poll

HICKORY, N.C. – Presbyterian’s men’s basketball team was chosen to finish third in the upcoming South Atlantic Conference basketball season by the league’s head coaches it was announced on Wednesday by the league office at the annual SAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Media Day.

Presbyterian had one of its best seasons ever in the 2005-06 campaign, concluding the season at 25-10. The Blue Hose advanced to the NCAA Tournament and bowed out in the semifinals of the South Atlantic Regional to Georgia College and State University.

Presbyterian’s Sean Dixon was chosen to the league’s preseason all-conference squad as a second team member.

Despite being injured for a great deal of the season in 2005-06, the Marietta, Ga. native ended his efforts last year averaging 10.5 points-per-game and 3.1 assists-per-contest.

Dixon was chosen to the league’s second team after the 2003-04 season.

Fresh off their successful season-ending run, including winning the 2006 Food Lion SAC Men's Basketball Tournament, and returning 11 lettermen and four starters, the Wingate Bulldogs were picked to win the 2007 championship, in a poll of the league's nine coaches.

The Bulldogs received seven first-place votes and 78 total points.

Wingate placed two on the preseason All-Conference first team.

Leading the way for the Bulldogs is junior center Bryan Grier, who averaged 4.9 blocks per game last season, tops in Division II. Also returning is junior guard Sean Barnette, who was the Most Valuable Player in last year's conference tournament. Barnette led the Bulldogs in scoring last year and was second in the conference at 18.8 points per game.

Lenoir-Rhyne College, last year's conference champions, were picked to finish second, receiving one first-place vote and 67 total points.

The Bears also had a pair on the preseason All-Conference first team in junior forward Josh Kindred and junior guard Josh Rudder. Kindred led the Bears in scoring (13.9 ppg) and rebounding (5.9 rpg) last year, while Rudder was second in scoring and led the team in assists. Marcus Springs, a senior guard, was named to the second team.

Lenoir-Rhyne starts out the year ranked 17th in the preseason poll by Division II Bulletin.

Catawba, which has finished first or second the past two years, is picked to finish fourth with 57 points, but the Indians did pick up one first-place vote. Senior Brian Graves was named to the preseason All-Conference first team.

The Indians also made the national preseason poll, coming in at No. 23.

Newberry finished fifth in the preseason poll with 47 points. Returning leading scorer Zach Chandler was named to the preseason first team, while Sammy Monroe, the team's second-leading scorer and leading rebounder, made the second team.

Tusculum picked up 36 points to finish sixth in the poll. Junior forward Jordan Lear, who led the team in scoring last season, while senior Chris Poore, the leading rebounder a year ago, both made the preseason All-Conference second team.

Carson-Newman finished seventh in the poll with 31 points. The Eagles bring back their top three scorers from a year ago in Scott Williams, Darren Williams and Kente Hart.

Mars Hill and new SAC member Lincoln Memorial tied for eighth with 15 points each.

The Lions will be led by senior center Chris Aline.

The Railsplitters' key players are Kai Wells and Artavius Mitchell to help them contend in their first season in the South Atlantic Conference.

Men's Preseason All-Conference 
First Team
Brian Graves, Catawba
Josh Kindred, Lenoir-Rhyne
Josh Rudder, Lenoir-Rhyne
Zach Chandler, Newberry
Sean Barnette, Wingate
Bryan Grier, Wingate

Second Team
Marcus Springs, Lenoir-Rhyne
Sammy Monroe, Newberry
Sean Dixon, Presbyterian
Jordan Lear, Tusculum
Chris Poore, Tusculum
Justin Baker, Wingate

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