Albertus Magnus Men's Basketball Voted GNAC Preseason Favorite
Seeking its fifth GNAC championship in six years, Albertus received six first-place votes and 96 points to take the top spot in the preseason coaches' poll.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Albertus receives six
first-place votes to JWU’s three
WINTHROP, Mass. – Seeking its fifth Great Northeast Athletic Conference championship in six years, the Albertus Magnus College men’s basketball team received six first-place votes and 96 points to take the top spot in the 2016-17 GNAC Preseason Poll, as voted upon by the league’s 10 head coaches.
The Falcons, who sported a young roster last winter, advanced to the GNAC Championship last season where they fell to top seed Johnson & Wales University, 86-75. The Wildcats finished second in this year’s poll with three first-place votes and 91 points.
Albertus will look to be led by junior Jaqhawn Walters, who averaged 15.9 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists last year for 10th-year head coach Mitch Oliver’s Falcons.
The Wildcats earned a pair of NCAA Tournament victories this past March over Trinity (Conn.) and Fitchburg State to advance to the Division III Elite Eight, where they fell to Tufts on Tufts’ home floor. In 2016-17, JWU will be without the dynamic backcourt duo of Quarry Greenaway and Tom Garrick, who combined to average 48.3 points per game a year ago.
Lasell College received 74 points in the preseason ledger and one first-place tally after earning the No. 2 seed in last year’s GNAC Tournament and a spot in the tournament semifinals.
Rounding out the top-five was Mount Ida College with 61 points and Saint Joseph’s College of Maine with 55 points. Just off that pace was Emmanuel College (Mass.) in the sixth position with 53 points.
Making up the remainder of the poll Anna Maria College with 42 points, Norwich University with 37 points, Suffolk University with 26 points and Rivier University with 15 points.
Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement.
2016 GNAC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
1. Albertus Magnus (6) – 96
2. Johnson & Wales (3) – 91
3. Lasell (1) - 74
4. Mount Ida - 61
5. Saint Joseph's Maine – 55
6. Emmanuel – 53
7. Anna Maria – 42
8. Norwich - 37
9. Suffolk – 26
10. Rivier - 15
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