WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Albertus, Emmanuel Top 2022-23 GNAC Preseason Poll
Albertus Magnus and Emmanuel have been selected atop their respective divisions in the 2022-23 GNAC Preseason Poll, as voted upon by the league's head coaches.
November 7, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WINTHROP, Mass. – With NCAA Division III basketball tipping off on Tuesday, November 8, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference is pleased to unveil its 2022-23 GNAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll, as voted upon by the league's head coaches.
Emmanuel College led the way with nine first-place votes and 74 points in the North Division, while Albertus Magnus College took the top spot in the South Division with 10 of a possible 13 first-place nods and 88 points overall. The two teams will meet head-to-head on Saturday, December 3.
Emmanuel won its third straight GNAC Championship last winter under legendary head coach Andy Yosinoff. The Saints' GNAC renaissance comes after a five-year title hiatus, which came after a seven straight conference crowns from 2007-13.
Behind Emmauel in the North, Saint Joseph's College of Maine received four first-place votes and 69 points under the guidance of longtime head coach Mike McDevitt. While the Monks have fallen to Emmanuel in each of the last three GNAC title games, SJC won four league titles over a dominant five-year span from 2014-18.
Regis College and University of Saint Joseph (CT) combined for three first-place votes to finish second and third, respectively, behind Albertus in the South Division side of the poll.
Due to last winter's unfortunate COVID surge, the GNAC was forced to forego its original schedule featuring divisional play. This season the GNAC will resume its divisional landscape, with each school playing each divisional opponent twice (home and away), and each non-divisional opponent once. The six-team North Division will play 17 games; the seven-team South Division will play 18 games.
All of those games will count towards a team's GNAC record. The top-four seeds in each division will earn GNAC Tournament berths, beginning with cross-over quarterfinal play on Tuesday, February 21.
2022 GNAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
NORTH DIVISION
1. Emmanuel (9) - 74
2. Saint Joseph's Maine (4) - 69
3. Rivier - 48
4. Norwich - 39
5. Colby-Sawyer - 26
6. Anna Maria - 17
SOUTH DIVISION
1. Albertus Magnus (10) - 88
2. Regis (2) - 76
3. Saint Joseph CT (1) - 68
4. Elms - 47
5. Lasell - 40
6. JWU - 31
7. Dean - 14
Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 14 member institutions and over 3,500 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement.
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