Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Basketball Picked Second in Patriot League, Griffin Named to Preseason All-League Team
10/18/2007 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 18, 2007
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Patriot League announced its men's basketball preseason poll and preseason all-league team on Thursday afternoon at its annual Media Day event at the ESPN Zone in Baltimore, and Bucknell was picked second in a vote of head coaches and sports information directors. Additionally, senior guard John Griffin was picked for one of the five preseason all-league spots.
Bucknell, which went 13-1 in the Patriot League (22-9 overall) and shared the regular-season title with Holy Cross last season, earned five first-place votes and 85 points in the poll. The Crusaders were made the preseason favorites after collecting 10 first-place nods and 91 points.
Colgate earned the final first-place vote and was picked third with 62 points, followed by Lehigh (56), American (49), Army (42), Navy (34) and Lafayette (29).
A former Patriot League All-Rookie Team selection, Griffin earned Preseason All-Patriot League honors for the first time. Holy Cross center Tim Clifford was selected as Preseason Player of the Year, while Navy's Greg Sprink, Army's Jarell Brown and Lehigh's Marquis Hall rounded out the team.
Griffin averaged a career-high 10.5 points per game last season and ranked fifth in the Patriot League in free-throw percentage (.831), sixth in 3-pointers made (65), sixth in assists per game (2.74) and 15th in scoring. He has played in 96 straight games since the start of his Bucknell career, and this season he will serve as co-captain and is the likely starting point guard.
Bucknell has its annual Blue/Orange scrimmage on Oct. 23 and an exhibition game against East Stroudsburg on Nov. 4 prior to the Nov. 10 season-opener against Albany at Sojka Pavilion.
