Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Basketball Tabbed as Preseason Favorite in Patriot League
10/14/2004 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 14, 2004
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Backed by three of the five preseason All-Patriot League selections, the Bucknell men's basketball team has been tabbed as the favorite to win the 2005 championship, according to a poll\ of\ head\ coaches\ and\ sports\ information\ directors released at Thursday's Patriot League Media Day event held at Silver Creek Country Club in Hellertown, Pa.
The Bison, who finished 9-5 in Patriot League play (14-15 overall) with three freshmen and two sophomores in the starting lineup a year ago, received 10 of the 16 first-place votes in the preseason poll and garnered 92 votes. Lehigh and American split the other six first place votes, with the Mountain Hawks edging the Eagles for the No. 2 spot in the poll 79-74. Holy Cross was picked fourth with 66 points, followed by Colgate (57), Lafayette (38), Navy (24) and Army (18).
Bucknell returns all five starters and its top seven scorers from last season, and three of those underclassmen were selected to the preseason all-league team. Junior co-captains Kevin Bettencourt and Charles Lee, both of whom were on the All-Patriot League Second Team in 2004, along with sophomore center Chris McNaughton were honored.
American's Andre Ingram was named the preseason player of the year, while Kevin Hamilton of Holy Cross rounded out an all-league squad consisting of three juniors and two sophomores.
Bucknell also returns three other key sophomores in point guard Abe Badmus and forward John Clark, both starters for much of last season, along with sixth man Donald Brown. Forward Chris Niesz, the team's lone senior, center Tarik Viaer-McClymont and a promising four-man freshman class should also give the Bison terrific depth.
The annual "Midnight Mania" event officially kicks off the 2004-05 basketball season late this Friday night at Sojka Pavilion. The Bison open practice on Saturday and will host Indiana (Pa.) in an exhibition game on Nov. 6 in preparation for the season opener against Princeton at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse on Nov. 11.
