Men's Basketball Picked Sixth in Skyline Preseason Poll
Press Release from the Skyline Conference
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Vying for its third consecutive Skyline crown, Purchase has been selected to capture the 2014-15 men's basketball title in voting conducted by the league's ten head coaches.
The Panthers received nine first-place votes and 81 overall points coming off a program-best 26-3 campaign and an appearance in the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament. PC welcomes back senior center Joel Neri, a first-team All-Conference and second-team NABC All-District selection who averaged 15.9 points and 7.4 rebounds a year ago.
Sage earned one first-place vote and finished second in the preseason poll with 62 points, followed closely by Old Westbury (61), Farmingdale State (60) and Mount Saint Mary (56). Junior forward Melvin Ford averaged 11.6 points and 6.5 rebounds last season as Sage registered its most victories (15) in the five-year history of the program, while OW welcomes back sophomore center Mark Gjonlekaj (10.3 ppg., 5.3 rpg., 51 blocks).
Under the direction of first-year head coach Kevin Spann, St. Joseph's-L.I. placed sixth with 44 points, followed by Mount Saint Vincent (36), Yeshiva (23), Maritime (19) and Sarah Lawrence (9).
The opening round of the 2015 Skyline Men's Basketball Championship will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 24, with the semifinals scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 26. The title game will be played on Saturday, Feb. 28, with the winner receiving the league's automatic berth to the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship.
The Skyline also welcomes its newest member, Sarah Lawrence College, to the conference this season. SLC will play a full conference schedule but will not be eligible for the 2015 Skyline and NCAA Championships as it completes its final year of NCAA Division III provisional membership.
2014-15 Preseason MBB Coaches Poll
1. Purchase (9) - 81 points
2. Sage (1) - 62 points
3. Old Westbury - 61 points
4. Farmingdale State - 60 points
5. Mount Saint Mary - 56 points
6. St. Joseph's-L.I. - 44 points
7. Mount Saint Vincent - 36 points
8. Yeshiva - 23 points
9. Maritime - 19 points
10. Sarah Lawrence - 9 points
First-place votes in parentheses