Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Basketball Picked as Patriot League Preseason Favorites
10/27/2005 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 27, 2005
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Patriot League men's basketball head coaches and sports information directors unanimously selected Bucknell to repeat as conference champion in 2005-06, the league office announced Thursday at its annual Media Day event held at the College Sports Television (CSTV) headquarters in New York City.
It was also revealed that Bison junior center Chris McNaughton (Leutershausen, Germany/Dientzenhofer Gymnasium) is the Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year, while senior guard/forward Charles Lee (Gaithersburg, Md./Quince Orchard) joined McNaughton on the five-man preseason all-league team.
Bucknell received the maximum number of points (98) and first-place votes (14) - coaches and SIDs are not permitted to vote for their own team or players in the poll - and head into the season as the favorite for the second straight year. In 2004-05 the Bison backed up that claim, capturing its first-ever Patriot League title with a 61-57 victory over Holy Cross. They went on to defeat Kansas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, marking the first NCAA victory for any Bucknell or Patriot League team.
Holy Cross, which captured last year's regular season title with a 13-1 record and later knocked off Notre Dame in the first round of the NIT, collected the two remaining first-place votes and finished second in the preseason poll with 86 points.
Lehigh (65), Colgate (59), American (55), Navy (42), Lafayette (26) and Army (17) rounded out the poll.
McNaughton and Lee are in excellent company on the preseason all-league team. They are joined by reigning Patriot League Player of the Year and conference scoring champion Kevin Hamilton of Holy Cross, high scoring guard Andre Ingram of American and the versatile Keith Simmons of Holy Cross.
That same quintet comprised the All-Patriot League First Team last season.
Bucknell returns its entire starting five and 12 of the 13 student-athletes who made up last year's championship roster. In addition to McNaughton and Lee, two-time all-conference selection Kevin Bettencourt is back for his senior year, as are starting point guard and defending PL Defensive Player of the Year Abe Badmus and starting power forward Darren Mastropaolo. Key reserves Donald Brown, John Griffin and Tarik Viaer-McClymont join a trio of freshman on what should be a deep squad.
The Bison have just over three weeks left to prepare for their season opener on Nov. 18 at Rider. The home opener is slated for Nov. 26 against Yale.
Prior to opening night the team will have two public exhibitions - this Friday's Orange vs. Blue instrasquad scrimmage at 6:30 p.m., and a Nov. 5 exhibition game with Lock Haven at 7 p.m. Both contests will be held at Sojka Pavilion and are open to the public free of charge.
