|
WONDER BOYS LISTED AS ONE OF THE POSSIBLE BREAKTHROUGH
TEAM IN THE SPORTING NEWS 2009-10 NCAA DIVISION II
BASKETBALL PREVIEW
RUSSELLVILLE,
Arkansas
–
With the start of practice a little less than 10 days
away, Arkansas Tech Men’s Basketball has been named a
possible breakthrough team in the NCAA Division II for
the 2009-10 season by The Sporting News in its
2009-10 College Basketball Preview Magazine that hit
newsstands on Monday.
Tech, who finished last season with a 23-9 record and
won the program’s first-ever Gulf South Conference title
and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division II
South Regional, is one of three GSC schools mentioned in
its Division II preview. Valdosta State, the team that
Tech defeated in the finals of last season’s GSC
Tournament, is ranked fourth in the magazine’s Preseason
Division II Top 10 Poll, while Tech and Christian
Brothers, who advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite
Eight last year after winning the South Regional, are
listed as possible breakthrough teams.
Fourth-year Tech head coach Mark Downey welcomes
back two starters and eight lettermen from last season’s
squad, including senior guards Renard Allen (New
Orleans, La.) and Brandon Friedel (Victoria,
Texas). In addition, Downey brought in 10 newcomers,
including senior guard Marcus Pillow
(Russellville, Ark.), a transfer from Central Arkansas,
junior guard Jeremy Dunbar (Niceville, Fla.), a
transfer from Southeastern Louisiana and junior guard
Willie Sanders (Jacksonville, Ark.), a transfer from
St. John’s River [FL] Community College.
Bellarmine headlines the magazine’s Preseason Division
II Top 10 poll and they are followed by BYU-Hawai’i at
No. 2 and Central Missouri at No. 3. Following Valdosta
State in the poll is Bentley at No. 5, Indiana [PA] at
No. 6 and Grand Valley State at No. 7. The final three
teams in the Top 10 are Humboldt State at No. 8, Cal
Poly Pomona, the defending NCAA Division II national
runners-up, at No. 9 and St. Cloud State is ranked 10th.
Along with announcing its Preseason Top 10 Poll and
possible breakthrough teams, the Sporting News
also released its Preseason Division II All-America
team.
The Preseason Division II All-America Team featured only
one player from the GSC as Valdosta State’s Tyrone
Curnell was named a First-Team All-America selection.
Tech will begin practice for the 2009-10 season on Oct.
15 and will open its regular season on Monday, Nov. 16,
when they host Ozark Christian in a 7:30 p.m. game at
Tucker Coliseum.
The
Sporting News
NCAA Division II Preview
Preseason Top 10
1.
Bellarmine
2. BYU-Hawaii
3. Central
Missouri
4.
Valdosta State
5. Bentley
6. Indiana
(Pa.)
7. Grand
Valley State
8. Humboldt
State
9. Cal Poly
Pomona
10. St.
Cloud State
Possible
Breakthrough Teams:
Adelphia,
Arkansas Tech, Augusta State, Barton, Bridgeport,
Cal State-San Bernardino, Central Oklahoma, Central
Washington, Christian Brothers, Dallas
Baptist, Findlay, Florida Southern, Johnson C. Smith,
Kutztown, LeMoyne, Massachusetts-Lowell, Merrimack,
Metropolitan State, Minnesota State-Mankato, Northern
Kentucky, Philadelphia, Saint Anselm, Seattle Pacific,
Southern Indiana, Southwest Baptist, Southwest Minnesota
State, Tarleton State, Tusculum, Virginia Union, West
Liberty State, Western Washington and Winona State.
All-America Team
First-Team
Lucas Alves, BYU-Hawaii
Tyrone
Curnell, Valdosta State
Darren
Duncan, Merrimack
Matt
Rogers, Southwest Baptist
Jason
Westrol, Bentley
Second-Team
Brandon Brown, Cal State-San Bernardino
Kendrick
Easley, Mount Olive
Laurence
Ekperigin, LeMoyne
Aaron Hill,
Rockhurst
Ben Madgen,
Augusta State
Honorable Mention
Morris
Anderson, Western Washington
Daniel
Bailey, Queens
Chris
Banchero, Seattle Pacific
Thomas
Baudinet, Saint Anselm
Gerald
Brooks, Indiana (Pa.)
Brandon
Byerson, Virginia Union
Richard
Byrd, Adelphi
Pierce
Caldwell, Incarnate Word
Rashad
Callaway, Tampa
Duke Crews,
Bowie State
Stephen
Dennis, Kutztown
L.J. Dunn,
Barton
Russell
Frederick, Philadelphia
Chris Hall,
Lynn
Braydon
Hobbs, Bellarmine
Malcolm
Ingram, Philadelphia
David
Johnson, Winona State
Justin
Keenan, Ferris State
Dustin
Maguire, Northern Kentucky
Darin Mency,
Merrimack
Kyle Moore,
Tusculum
Travis
Nelson, Minnesota State-Mankato
Marcus
Parker, Findlay
Matt
Schneck, St. Cloud State
Jamar
Smith, Southern Indiana
John
Thompson, Florida Southern
Zac
Tiedeman, Humboldt State
Sanjay
Watts, Central Missouri
Darryl
Webb, Indiana (Pa.)
Marques
Whippy, BYU-Hawaii
Taylor
Witt, St. Cloud State
Nick Wolf,
Rollins
-- Tech Athletics
-- |