Benedict receives votes in National Preseason Poll
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Benedict College men’s basketball team is among those that received votes in the National Association of Basketball Coaches NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Pre-Season Poll, announced on Tuesday.
The Tigers received 14 votes in the poll, 31 points and 11 spots out of the national Top 25 preseason poll. Benedict, the preseason favorite to win the SIAC championship, return SIAC Player of the Year Brandon Morris.
Benedict opens the 2017-18 season on Nov. 10 against Auburn-Montgomery in the SIAC/Gulf South Conference Challenge tournament at Claflin University in Orangeburg.
The NABC/Division II pre-season coaches poll has Northwest Missouri State picked as its No.1 team, marking the first time in six years that the defending national champion is the top-ranked team in the pre-season.
NABC/Division II Rankings (Oct. 31, 2016 – Pre-Season Poll)
Record Points Last
1. Northwest Missouri St. (15) 35-1 399 1
2. Queens, N.C. (1) 30-4 374 6
3. Bellarmine, Ky. 32-4 351 2
4. Lincoln Memorial, Tenn. 30-6 324 15
5. St. Thomas Aquinas, N.Y.. 28-6 308 NR
6. Indiana, Pa. 28-4 304 8
7. Chico State, Calif. 26-8 297 NR
8. Shippensburg, Pa. 27-4 254 9
9. Colorado School of Mines 30-5 236 11
10. Ferris State, Mich. 28-5 230 14
11. UT-Permian Basin 26-6 216 17
12. Barry, Fla. 23-7 210 NR
13. Rollins, Fla. 24-11 194 NR
14. California Baptist 26-5 180 13
15. Southwest Minnesota State 28-6 159 18
16. Fort Lewis, Colo. 26-7 134 23
17. West Liberty, W.Va. 28-4 117 7
18. Merrimack, Mass. 19-12 88 NR
19. Wheeling Jesuit, W.Va. 25-8 83 NR
20. Findlay, Ohio 25-7 72 25
21. West Texas A&M 26-9 67 NR
22. Western Washington 25-6 63 12
23. Arkansas-Monticello 23-7 51 NR
24. Kentucky Wesleyan 28-3 46 5
25. Delta State, Miss. 23-9 45 NR
Others receiving votes: Fairmont State (W.Va.) 44,
Indianapolis (Ind.) 40, Christian Brothers (Tenn.) 39, Le
Moyne (N.Y.) 39, UNC Pembroke 31, UC San Diego 24,
Virginia Union 23, Central Missouri 21, Augusta (Ga.) 16,
Dixie State (Utah) 16, Benedict (S.C.) 14, Columbus State
(Ga.) 13, Northern State (S.D.) 12, Tarleton State (Texas) 10,
Bloomfield (N.J.) 8, MSU Moorhead (Minn.) 8, Jefferson (Pa.)
6, Barton (N.C.) 5, Valdosta State (Ga.) 4, Washburn (Kan.) 3,
Kutztown (Pa.) 2, Western Oregon 2, Cal State San Marcos 1,
San Francisco State (Calif.) 1.
Records are final from 2016-17 season. Last ranking was
from the final 2016-17 poll.
Benedict Athletics contributed to the writing of this article.
