PATRIOT LEAGUE MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:
- American
- Lehigh
- Colgate
- Boston U
- Navy
- Bucknell
- Lafayette
- Holy Cross
- Loyola MD
- Army
MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-PATRIOT LEAGUE TEAM:
-Madden Collins – SO, G – American
-Greg Jones – SR, F – American (Defensive Player of the Year)
-Kyrone Alexander – SR, G – Boston U
-Andrew Alekseyenko – SO, F – Colgate
-Hank Alvey – JR, F/C – Lehigh (Player of the Year)
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COMMENTS FROM DAVID:
-American had a very average season last year going 9-9 in league play, but with four starters returning, that experience has made them the preseason favorites to win the league this year. Madden Collins averaged over 13ppg last year and will be a solid backcourt player for them again this year. Kade Sebastian is a really good outside shooter and another player to keep an eye on, and Greg Jones gives them a strong presence in the paint. This team is balanced, experienced, and capable of making a lot of noise this year.
-Lehigh tied for 2nd place last year, then won the conference tournament to advance to the NCAA First Four. With four starters back, including Hank Alvey, who is one of the best frontcourt players in the PL (and really best overall players), I cannot imagine how they were not picked to win the league. I mean…they were picked 2nd, which is hardly bad, but this is a solid Lehigh squad! Edouard Benoit is another solid frontcourt player who can both score/rebound. Chris Tshibola also transfers in from Canada where he averaged over 20ppg a season ago. They are a little unproven in the backcourt, but they still have a solid overall team and I think they can get back to the NCAA Tournament this year.
-Colgate was injury-riddled last year, but they still had a good season and return some key pieces for this year. Andrew Alekseyenko averaged over 14.8ppg last year and was both a solid rebounder and a good outside shooter. He is a guy with both size and range. Sam Wright was another double-digit scorer so the Raiders have a strong frontcourt. They will be in the mix for the conference title this year.
-Boston U had a modest 10-8 record last season in league play, but upset Navy in the conference semis, which was a huge shock considering how dominant Navy had been all season. A couple of starters are back this season as is Kyrone Alexander, who missed nearly all of last season due to injury. Sam Hughes had a solid season as a freshman last year and is a good outside shooter, so he is someone to keep an eye on. They have also added some standout D-2 and D-3 players. And…they play on The Roof!!!
-There are good upsets and bad upsets in college basketball. A good upset is when a good team from a lower-level conference that has been largely overlooked takes down a heavyweight. A bad upset is when a team from an Under the Radar league dominates, but is then denied that chance at the big stage due to one bad day in the conference tournament. Navy lost just two Patriot League games last year. Unfortunately one of them was in the semifinals of the conference tournament, and despite finishing 6 games ahead of the 2nd place team they did not make the NCAA Tournament. A couple of starters return this year, but they do not appear to be nearly as strong. Jinwoo Kim and Cam Cole are fantastic outside shooters, but they will need to have some guys step into new roles if they are going to compete for the top of the league this year.
-Bucknell won just ten games a year ago and could be in for another long year this year. Two starters are back and they have added some standout guys from the D-2 level, but I expect the Bison to struggle this year. 6th place is where they are picked and I think that appears to be their ceiling.
-Just one starter is back for Lafayette this year after a frustrating 11-21 season. Cooper Kesler transfers in from Southerm Idaho, where he shout an incredible 43% from beyond the arc, so he is a player to watch. Aaron Sievert is another transfer who shot over 40% from deep in JUCO last year. So, if Lafayette can do anything this year, it is hit from the outside!
-It has been a very long time since Holy Cross has been even decent in PL play, let alone good. They were tied for 9th place last year and won just 11 games overall. They do add a couple of standout players who had dominant stat lines at D-2 schools last year in Kole Hanson and Arius Alijosius, but they appear to be lacking when it comes to players who currently have solid D-1 experience.
-Loyola MD struggled down the stretch last year and then lost most of their key players, so they are starting over with a rather inexperienced roster. But, it is a chance for players who have played limited roles and minutes to now emerge.
-Army has four starters returning, so because of that experience, I am a little shocked they were picked to finish dead-last. But, they did tie for dead-last last season and finished the year losing eight of their last nine.
