Basketball Teams Picked Among Leaders in Conference Preseason Polls
The Wittenberg men's and women's basketball teams both captured NCAC regular season championships with perfect 16-0 records, so it's hardly surprising that both teams were given a great deal of respect in the 2004-05 NCAC preseason polls conducted during today's media day conference call.
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2004-05 Men's Poll (Coaches)
1. Wooster (9) 99 2. Wittenberg (1) 90 3. Ohio Wesleyan 71 4. Earlham 64 Wabash 64 6. Denison 48 7. Allegheny 45 8. Kenyon 33 9. Hiram 23 10. Oberlin 13 2004-05 Men's Poll (Media) 1. Wooster (21) 246 2. Wittenberg (2) 221 3. Ohio Wesleyan 185 4. Wabash 165 5. Earlham 135 6. Allegheny 125 7. Denison 115 8. Kenyon (1) 93 9. Oberlin (1) 53 10. Hiram 37 2004-05 Women's Poll (Coaches) 1. Wittenberg (5) 74 2. Allegheny (3) 72 3. Ohio Wesleyan (1) 68 4. Denison 52 5. Kenyon 43 6. Wooster 40 7. Earlham 22 8. Oberlin 21 9. Hiram 13 2004-05 Women's Poll (Media) 1. Wittenberg (10) 194 2. Ohio Wesleyan (7) 183 3. Allegheny (5) 173 4. Denison 141 5. Kenyon 114 6. Wooster 95 7. Earlham (2) 81 8. Oberlin 53 9. Hiram 46 |
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg University men's and women's basketball teams both captured North Coast Athletic Conference regular season championships with perfect 16-0 records, so it's hardly surprising that both teams were given a great deal of respect in the 2004-05 NCAC preseason polls conducted during today's media day conference call.
On the women's side, the Tigers, who are coming off a 25-6 campaign in 2003-04 that included the program's first-ever trip to the NCAA Division III Round of 16, outpolled Allegheny and Ohio Wesleyan in both the coaches and media balloting. The coaches gave the Tigers five of a possible nine first-place votes, while the Tigers claimed the top position on 10 of the 25 media ballots cast. Wittenberg, which is riding a 36-game regular season NCAC win streak dating back to February 2002, were chosen to finish in third place or higher on every ballot cast. In the coaches poll, Allegheny received three first-place nods, and Ohio Wesleyan picked up the other vote. In the media poll, the Battling Bishops were chosen first on seven ballots and the Gators on five, with seventh-place Earlham getting the other two first-place votes.
The men's balloting was a little more clear-cut. Wooster, winner of five of the last six NCAC Tournament titles under Head Coach Steve Moore, Wittenberg Class of 1972, was selected first by nine of the 10 coaches in the conference and 21 of the 25 media members. Wittenberg, which has won three of the last four NCAC regular season titles under Head Coach Bill Brown, Wittenberg Class of 1973, was a near unanimous choice in both polls to finish in second place. The Tigers, coming off a 24-5 overall record in 2003-04 that included an NCAA Division III record 22nd trip to the national tournament, received the other first-place vote in the coaches poll and two first-place nods in the media balloting. Kenyon, led by Head Coach Matt Croci, Wittenberg Class of 1994, received one first-place vote, and Oberlin took the other.
The Tiger women, under the direction of 19-year Head Coach Pam Smith, Wittenberg Class of 1982, return 10 letterwinners to the program in 2004-05, but just one starter and just two seniors, guards Alison Nahrup (Loveland, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) and Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson). They open the season with two games at the Southwestern University Tip-Off Tournament in San Antonio, Texas, on Nov. 19-20.
The Tiger men also return 10 letterwinners in 2004-05, among that number are three starters - senior point guard Danny Brywczynski (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont), junior post Daniel Russ (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) and junior wing Kenny Brady (Reading, Ohio/Reading). They open the season with two games at the Washington University Lopata Classic in St. Louis, Mo., on Nov. 19-20.
To view the NCAC media day release, log on to North Coast Athletic Conference Web site.
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