Runnin Royals Picked To Finish Third In ODAC
Boosted by a strong end to last season plus and large group of returners, the EMU men's basketball team has been tabbed in a tie for third place in the ODAC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll. The Runnin Royals earned 91 points in a voting of the league's coaches, locking them up with Guilford College, which also received 91 tallies.
The two teams are just a hair ahead of Hampden-Sydney which came in fifth with 87 votes. Randolph-Macon received 10 first-place votes and stands atop the Old Dominion Athletic Conference for the second straight season with 120 total points. Virginia Wesleyan received the remaining two top nods and 111 tallies to sit in second.
Eastern Mennonite rattled off a six-game winning streak at the end of last year which only ended with a loss to Hampden-Sydney in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Tournament Semifinals. They finished 17-11 overall, including 10-6 in the ODAC.
The Runnin Royals return 11 of 12 regular players from that squad, replacing only graduated All-ODAC Third Team senior RJ Sims (12.7ppg, 2.9rpg). Headlining the returners are All-ODAC First Team center David Falk (Madison, Va./Madison County) (14.1ppg, 13.4rpg, 2.9bpg) and All-ODAC Second Team wing Marcel Crump(Richmond, Va./Highland Springs) (17.0ppg, 4.2rpg, 2.6apg). EMU also brings back starters James Williams (Capitol Heights, Md./Archbishop Carrol) (8.3ppg, 2.5apg) and Kwa McDonald (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) (3.9ppg), along with Ryan Yates (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) (13.0ppg, 4.1rpg, 2.5apg) who started much of last season before coming off the bench as a sparkplug sixth man.
The men also brought in a large and talented recruiting class, giving them the deepest team they have fielded in recent years.
EMU opens the 2014-15 season at home by hosting a tip-off classic on Nov. 15 and 16. The Runnin Royals play Ferrum on that Saturday followed by St. Mary's (Md.) on Sunday. Local rival Bridgewater also plays at the EMU Tip-Off Invitational, held in Yoder Arena.
Click here to see the entire 2014-15 EMU men's basketball schedule.
Two squads made a trip to the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament in 2013-14, increasing the conference's representation on the national stage to 14 teams since the 2009-10 season. Last year, Virginia Wesleyan punched its automatic ticket to the field of 62 by winning its fifth overall ODAC title via a 77-74 thriller over Hampden-Sydney College in the conference championship game. The crown marked the second for the Marlins in the past three years.
VWC, making its 10th straight appearance in the national bracket, was joined by fellow perennial qualifier Randolph-Macon as an at-large entrant. The Yellow Jackets hosted their first round matchup against DeSales University, but were unable to take advantage of home court in falling to the Bulldogs, 77-74, in overtime. Virginia Wesleyan also was awarded hosting duties by the national committee, and the Marlins turned that into a pair of wins in the Jane P. Batten Center. They topped Johns Hopkins University, 84-72, in round one and followed that with a 79-74 triumph over Wesley College the next day. VWC traveled to the University of Mary Washington for sectional action, where the Marlins fell to the host Eagles, 74-70.
Last season, just seven all-conference performers returned to courts across the ODAC. The story is much the same this year as eight All-ODAC honorees are back. Still, you'll be hard-pressed to find a bare cupboard in the league, a notion that was recognized by the national pundits as two squads open the season ranked in theD3hoops.com Top-25 Preseason Poll. Randolph-Macon is slotted 11th, while Virginia Wesleyan sits 19th. Reigning national champion the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater stands atop the chart voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, sports information directors and media members from across the country.
Listed below is the full 2014-15 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).
2014-15 ODAC MEN'S BASKETBALL PREASON POLL
(#) Denotes First Place Votes
1. Randolph-Macon (10)
120 pts.
2. Virginia Wesleyan (2)
111 pts.
3. Eastern Mennonite
91 pts.
3. Guilford
91 pts.
5. Hampden-Sydney
87 pts.
6. Roanoke
66 pts.
7. Lynchburg
64 pts.
8. Randolph
53 pts.
9. Washington and Lee
38 pts.
10. Bridgewater
35 pts.
11. Shenandoah
22 pts.
12. Emory & Henry
14 pts.
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Runnin Royals Picked To Finish Third In ODAC
Boosted by a strong end to last season plus and large group of returners, the EMU men's basketball team has been tabbed in a tie for third place in the ODAC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll. The Runnin Royals earned 91 points in a voting of the league's coaches, locking them up with Guilford College, which also received 91 tallies.
The two teams are just a hair ahead of Hampden-Sydney which came in fifth with 87 votes. Randolph-Macon received 10 first-place votes and stands atop the Old Dominion Athletic Conference for the second straight season with 120 total points. Virginia Wesleyan received the remaining two top nods and 111 tallies to sit in second.
Eastern Mennonite rattled off a six-game winning streak at the end of last year which only ended with a loss to Hampden-Sydney in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Tournament Semifinals. They finished 17-11 overall, including 10-6 in the ODAC.
The Runnin Royals return 11 of 12 regular players from that squad, replacing only graduated All-ODAC Third Team senior RJ Sims (12.7ppg, 2.9rpg). Headlining the returners are All-ODAC First Team center David Falk (Madison, Va./Madison County) (14.1ppg, 13.4rpg, 2.9bpg) and All-ODAC Second Team wing Marcel Crump(Richmond, Va./Highland Springs) (17.0ppg, 4.2rpg, 2.6apg). EMU also brings back starters James Williams (Capitol Heights, Md./Archbishop Carrol) (8.3ppg, 2.5apg) and Kwa McDonald (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) (3.9ppg), along with Ryan Yates (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) (13.0ppg, 4.1rpg, 2.5apg) who started much of last season before coming off the bench as a sparkplug sixth man.
The men also brought in a large and talented recruiting class, giving them the deepest team they have fielded in recent years.
EMU opens the 2014-15 season at home by hosting a tip-off classic on Nov. 15 and 16. The Runnin Royals play Ferrum on that Saturday followed by St. Mary's (Md.) on Sunday. Local rival Bridgewater also plays at the EMU Tip-Off Invitational, held in Yoder Arena.
Click here to see the entire 2014-15 EMU men's basketball schedule.
Two squads made a trip to the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament in 2013-14, increasing the conference's representation on the national stage to 14 teams since the 2009-10 season. Last year, Virginia Wesleyan punched its automatic ticket to the field of 62 by winning its fifth overall ODAC title via a 77-74 thriller over Hampden-Sydney College in the conference championship game. The crown marked the second for the Marlins in the past three years.
VWC, making its 10th straight appearance in the national bracket, was joined by fellow perennial qualifier Randolph-Macon as an at-large entrant. The Yellow Jackets hosted their first round matchup against DeSales University, but were unable to take advantage of home court in falling to the Bulldogs, 77-74, in overtime. Virginia Wesleyan also was awarded hosting duties by the national committee, and the Marlins turned that into a pair of wins in the Jane P. Batten Center. They topped Johns Hopkins University, 84-72, in round one and followed that with a 79-74 triumph over Wesley College the next day. VWC traveled to the University of Mary Washington for sectional action, where the Marlins fell to the host Eagles, 74-70.
Last season, just seven all-conference performers returned to courts across the ODAC. The story is much the same this year as eight All-ODAC honorees are back. Still, you'll be hard-pressed to find a bare cupboard in the league, a notion that was recognized by the national pundits as two squads open the season ranked in theD3hoops.com Top-25 Preseason Poll. Randolph-Macon is slotted 11th, while Virginia Wesleyan sits 19th. Reigning national champion the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater stands atop the chart voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, sports information directors and media members from across the country.
Listed below is the full 2014-15 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).
2014-15 ODAC MEN'S BASKETBALL PREASON POLL
(#) Denotes First Place Votes
1. Randolph-Macon (10)
120 pts.
2. Virginia Wesleyan (2)
111 pts.
3. Eastern Mennonite
91 pts.
3. Guilford
91 pts.
5. Hampden-Sydney
87 pts.
6. Roanoke
66 pts.
7. Lynchburg
64 pts.
8. Randolph
53 pts.
9. Washington and Lee
38 pts.
10. Bridgewater
35 pts.
11. Shenandoah
22 pts.
12. Emory & Henry
14 pts.
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