Saint Vincent men voted PAC hoops preseason favorites

Saint Vincent men voted PAC hoops preseason favorites

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GREENVILLE, Pa. (pacathletics.org) – Saint Vincent College was selected as the preseason favorite in this year’s Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll, which was voted on by the league's 10 head coaches. The PAC announced the results of its preseason coaches' poll and its players to watch list Friday. 

Saint Vincent and 15th-year head coach D.P. Harris secured four first-place votes and 92 points to earn the top spot on the preseason coaches' poll. The Bearcats have claimed the top spot on four of the last five preseason polls.

Thomas More College, last year’s league champion, and fifth-year head coach Drew Cooper finished second in the poll after collecting five first-place votes and 90 points. Last season’s PAC title was Thomas More’s second (2009). The Saints, who made their sixth PAC title game appearance since 2010 last year, had been winless in their previous five. They were picked as the preseason favorite a season ago.

Saint Vincent, the top seed in last year’s championship tournament, suffered a 79-68 loss in the league’s title game to second-seeded Thomas More at the Robert S. Carey Center in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Saint Vincent’s four-year title run (2013-16) is the longest in the league since Washington & Jefferson College posted four-straight PAC championships from 1992-95.

Westminster College and sixth-year head coach Kevin Siroki picked up the final first-place vote and totaled 76 points to finish third.

Thiel College claimed 74 points to finish fourth and was followed by Bethany College in fifth (63), Grove City College in sixth (44), Chatham University in seventh (35), Geneva College in eighth (33), Waynesburg University in ninth (28) and W&J in 10th (15).

The eight-team PAC Championship Tournament will get underway on Tuesday, February 20 with its quarterfinal round. The title game is slated for Saturday, Feb. 24.


2017-18 PAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
School (first-place votes) Points 2016-17 Record (PAC)
1. Saint Vincent (4) 92 21-7 (15-3)
2. Thomas More (5) 90 22-7 (15-3)
3. Westminster (1) 76 17-12 (11-7)
4. Thiel 74 16-9 (11-7)
5. Bethany 63 17-13 (9-9)
6. Grove City 44 12-14 (8-10)
7. Chatham 35 10-16 (6-12)
8. Geneva 33 10-16 (7-11)
9. Waynesburg 28 6-19 (4-14)
10. W&J 15 4-21 (4-14)

2017-18 PAC Men's Basketball Players to Watch
Bethany
Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Hometown | High School
Liam Davis Sr. C 6-8 Orlando, Fla. | Orlando Christian
Calique Jones Sr. G 6-0 Pittsburgh, Pa. | Obama Academy
Andrew Williams Sr. G 6-2 Oil City, Pa. | Oil City
 
Chatham
Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Hometown | High School
Anthony Bomar Jr. G 6-0 Bethel Park, Pa. | Bethel Park
Isaiah Brown Jr. G 6-0 Detroit, Mich. | North Pulaski
Alex Schoppen Jr. G/F 6-3 Gibsonia, Pa. | Central Catholic
 
Geneva
Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Hometown | High School
Jimmy Leichliter Sr. G/F 6-7 Connellsville, Pa. | Connellsville
Ethan Moose So. G/F 6-4 New Castle, Pa. | Neshannock
Danny Torok 6-0 G/F 6-0 Grove City, Pa. | Grove City
 
Grove City
Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Hometown | High School
Andrew Beckman Sr. F 6-6 Shelby, Mich. | Shelby
Cory Huff Sr. C 6-6 Kersey, Pa. | Elk County Catholic
   
Saint Vincent
Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Hometown | High School
Jason Capco Sr. G 6-3 Belle Vernon, Pa. | Belle Vernon
Matt D'Amico Sr. G 6-3 Pittsburgh, Pa. | Fox Chapel
Tom Kromka Sr. F 6-5 Monroeville, Pa. | Gateway
 
Thiel
Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Hometown | High School
Alonzo Brown Jr. G 6-6 Largo, Fla. | Pinellas Park
Tyreik Burton Sr. G 5-8 Lewes, Del. | Cape Henlopen
Josh Lumbus Sr. F 6-5 Cleveland, Ohio | John Hay
 
Thomas More
Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Hometown | High School
Simon Clifford Sr. F/C 6-6 Louisville, Ky. | DuPont Manual
Damion King Jr. G 5-10 Winchester, Ky. | George Rogers Clark
   
W&J
Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Hometown | High School
Brian Graytok Sr. G 6-1 Greensburg, Pa. | Greensburg Central Catholic
Brian Lindquist Sr. F 6-5 Narvon, Pa. | Pequea Valley
Sean Stinelli So. G 6-0 Harrison City, Pa. | Penn-Trafford
     
Waynesburg
Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Hometown | High School
Jon Knab Sr. F 6-5 Beaver Falls, Pa. | Beaver County Christian
Kendall Paige Sr. F 6-4 McKees Rocks, Pa. | Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
Marcus Wallace Sr. F 6-5 Twinsburg, Ohio | Twinsburg
 
Westminster
Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Hometown | High School
Austin Armwood Jr. G 6-1 Columbus, Ohio | Westerville North
Deontay Scott Sr. G/F 6-4 Youngstown, Ohio | East
Jarret Vrabel Sr. F 6-6 Canfield, Ohio  | Canfield

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