(Courtesy Bellarmine Athletics)

LOUISVILLE, Ky.–The Division II Bulletin has ranked the Bellarmine University men’s basketball team as the preseason No. 1 team in the country, and the publication gave Braydon Hobbs and Jeremy Kendle preseason accolades as well.

Hobbs was named as the preseason Player of the Year in the conference and one of the “Super 16” DII Bulletin names to its list of top players in the nation (two players from each of the eight regions).  Kendle was named as an honorable mention for the “Super 16.”

This marks the second publication to rank Bellarmine in the top spot nationally, as The Sporting News has already picked the Knights to repeat as national champions in 2011-12.

The GLVC and Midwest Region are well represented as regional foe Findlay checks in at No. 5, with conference opponents Southern Indiana (No. 13) and Kentucky Wesleyan (No. 20) also in the poll. Drury and Grand Valley State are among, “others to watch.”

Bellarmine will kick of their preseason schedule at Duke University on Oct.  29 in Durham, N.C., with the regular season opener at Knights Hall set for Nov. 12.

Division II Bulletin Preseason Top 25
1. Bellarmine
2. Alabama-Huntsville
3. BYU-Hawaii
4. Missouri Southern State
5. Findlay
6. Lincoln Memorial
7. Tarleton State
8. Bowie State
9. Colorado Mines
10. St. Rose
11. Central Oklahoma
12. Alaska Anchorage
13. Southern Indiana
14. West Liberty
15. Queens
16. Indiana (PA)
17. Benedict
18. Georgia Southwestern
19. Metro State
20. Kentucky Wesleyan
21. Humboldt State
22. Augustana
23. C.W. Post
24. Seattle Pacific
25. Winona State

Others to watch: Anderson, Bloomfield State, Dixie State, Drury, Grand Valley State, Limestone, Minnesota State, Pitt-Johnstown, USC Aiken, Stonehill, Texas A&M International.

–Courtesy Bellarmine Athletics

(Courtesy NCAA.com)

WOMEN

Team: Arkansas Tech (30-2)

(Seed) Region: (1) South

Affiliation: Gulf South Conference – regular season and tournament champions

Path to E8: Fort Valley State, Florida Tech, Delta State

Notes: Repeat as conference champions and appearance in Elite 8 for Golden Suns.

_____________________________________

Team: Michigan Tech (29-2)

(Seed) Region: (1) Midwest

Affiliation: Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – regular season and tournament champions

Path to E8: Lewis, Drury, Wisconsin-Parkside

Notes: Third consecutive E8 appearance

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Team: Metro State (30-2)

(Seed) Region: (2) Central

Affiliation: Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference – regular season champions

Path to E8: Winona State, Wayne State (NE), Adams State

Notes: First tournament wins in five appearances

_____________________________________

Team: Shaw (24-11)

(Seed) Region: (8) Atlantic

Affiliation: Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – tournament champions

Path to E8: Edinboro, California (PA), Johnson C. Smith

Notes: On a ten game winning streak

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Team: Northwest Missouri State (27-4)

(Seed) Region: (2) South Central

Affiliation: Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association – regular season and tournament champions

Path to E8: Texas Women’s, Tarleton State, Central Oklahoma

Notes: First ever Elite 8 bid

_____________________________________

Team: Cal Poly Pomona (28-4)

(Seed) Region: (1) West

Affiliation: California Collegiate Athletics Association – regular season and tournament champions

Path to E8: Cal. State-St. Bernardino, Alaska-Anchorage, Grand Canyon

Notes: 13th Regional title for Broncos

_____________________________________

Team: Bentley (28-4)

(Seed) Region: (1) East

Affiliation: Northeast 10 – regular season and tournament champions

Path to E8: C.W. Post, Assumption, Pace

Notes: 11th Regional title for Falcons

_____________________________________

Team: Clayton State (32-1)

(Seed) Region: (1) Southeast

Affiliation: Peach Belt Conference – regular season and conference champions

Path to E8: Francis Marion, Barton, Lander

Notes: 4th Regional title for Lakers

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FULL BRACKET

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MEN

Team: Bellarmine (30-2)

(Seed) Region: (1) Midwest

Affiliation: Great Lakes Valley Conference – regular season and tournament champions

Path to E8: Indianapolis, Northern Kentucky, Ferris State

Notes: First ever Elite 8 bid

_____________________________________

Team: Midwestern State (25-8)

(Seed) Region: (6) South Central

Affiliation: Lone Star Conference

Path to E8: Tarleton State, Missouri Southern State, Central Oklahoma

Notes: First ever Elite 8 bid

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Team: Anderson [SC] (21-11)

(Seed) Region: (7) Southeast

Affiliation: South Atlantic Conference

Path to E8: Lincoln Memorial, Montevallo, Augusta State

Notes: First ever Elite 8 bid

_____________________________________

Team: West Liberty (32-0)

(Seed) Region: (1) Atlantic

Affiliation: West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Path to E8: Slippery Rock, Shaw, Indiana (PA)

Notes: First ever Elite 8 bid

_____________________________________

Team: Alabama-Huntsville (29-4)

(Seed) Region:  (1) South

Affiliation: Gulf South Conference – regular season champions

Path to E8: Clark Atlanta, Arkansas Tech, Stillman

Notes: First ever Elite 8 bid

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Team: Minnesota State-Mankato (27-4)

(Seed) Region: (1) Central

Affiliation: Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference – regular season champions

Path to E8: Winona State, Metro State, Fort Lewis

Notes: Sixth straight year NSIC team in E8

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Team: BYU-Hawaii (20-8)

(Seed) Region: (7) West

Affiliation: Pacific West Conference

Path to E8: Cal. State-Dominguez Hills, Alaska-Anchorage, Dixie State

Notes: First ever Elite 8 bid after fourth straight Sweet 16 appearance

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Team: Bloomfield (24-8)

(Seed) Region: (7) East

Affiliation: Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference – regular season and tournament champions

Path to E8: American International, Stonhill, Bentley

Notes: First ever Elite 8 bid, first CACC team in E8

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FULL BRACKET

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Greg Kamansky

“Redemption,’’ the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos men’s basketball coach exclaimed after his team defeated No. 2 Indiana University of Pennsylvania 65-53 for the NCAA Division II NCAA Championship before a crowd of 3,672 fans at the MassMutual Center located in the birthplace of the game.

It was one year ago that the Broncos lost in the NCAA title game, losing on a last-second, desperation 3-pointer from Findley’s Tyler Evans in overtime.

There would be little doubt about this contest on a chilly day in New England as the Broncos were out to claim their first NCAA championship and the 14th NCAA title in school history.

CPP, which finished the season 28-6, took control from the outset as it scored the game’s first eight points and never trailed against a team that entered play on a 15-game winning streak. For the game, the Broncos held IUP to its lowest scoring effort on the season and 25 points below its season average.

The Broncos became the first unranked team to win the championship since North Alabama in 1979. They also became just the third school in history to lose a national title and win the following year.

“I am so proud of our team’s effort today because it took our best game of the year to defeat a team that presents so many weapons,’’ Kamansky said. “That we held them to 53 points and stopped their big guns speaks volumes about our guys.

“But it’s more than just defense. We hit shots during the entire Elite Eight and we showed improvement from the foul line the last two games. It takes a team to win here and I can’t say enough about how they mesh together and play unselfishly.’’

Junior Donnelle Booker scored a game-high 13 points and Tournament MVP Austin Swift and All Elite Eight choice Dahir Nasser each had 12. Junior Tobias Jahn scored 10 points off the bench with three rebounds. It was Jahn’s second straight double-figure effort in the tourney.

FULL STORY

–Courtesy Cal Poly Pomona Athletics

Cassondra Boston got ESU on the board first with a jumper before FLC went on an 8-0 run to take an early six point lead.  The Lady Hornets responded with a 14-2 run to go up 16-10 with 9:06 remaining.  ESU would hold the Skyhawks with out a field goal for 10:39 at one point. The Lady Hornets would take a 23-21 lead into the locker room.

Their were seven ties in the first 10:35 of the second half with the Skyhawks taking a brief 36-34 lead with 11:05 remaining.  After Katie Mackey tied it at 38 with 9:25 left, the Lady Hornets went on a 13-4 run to take command. Rachel Hanf hit three straight three pointers for ESU during the run, the last with 5:10 left to give ESU a 51-42 lead.

Volkens would trade baskets with the Skyhawks to keep the lead at nine with 3:07 left. The Lady Hornets would then hit eight of eight free throws with Boston going six of six with a lay-up in the final 1:49 to secure the first national championship as a Division II school for Emporia State.

Volkens was joined on the all-tournament team by Boston and Brittney Miller from ESU. Boston ended with 12 points while Miller added eight points and eight rebounds in the championship game.  Hanf had 15 points, going three of three from behind the arc and six of six from the free throw line.  Laura Haugen and Alsion Rosel represented FLC on the All-Tournament Team.

FULL STORY

–Courtesy Emporia State Athletics

The Jaguars climbed to No. 1 Tuesday in the 14th NABC/Coaches Poll of the 2009-10 season, according to a release from the NABC national office in Kansas City, Mo.

In their sixth season under head coach Dip Metress, the Jaguars wrapped up the 2009-10 regular season on Saturday, Feb. 27 with an 82-55 Senior Night victory over Lander. They extended their home winning streak to 28 straight and have now won 24 or more games in each of the last four seasons.

ASU (25-2) hosts Armstrong Atlantic State (12-15) in the quarterfinals of the Peach Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Championship on Wednesday, March 3 at 7:00 p.m., in Christenberry Fieldhouse. The winner advances to Saturday’s 6:00 p.m., tourney semifinal at USC Aiken’s Convocation Center.

The No. 1 ranking matches the highest in school history for any of ASU’s 11 varsity sports. The Jags originally earned the top spot in the national rankings – the first in the program’s 45 years of existence — on Tuesday, Jan. 12. The ranking also marked the first time in the Peach Belt Conference’s 20-year history that a men’s basketball team has been ranked No. 1 in the nation.

ASU has now cracked the top five of the national rankings 17 times under head coach Dip Metress. The Jags have appeared in the top 25 for a school-record 49 consecutive weeks, dating back to the 2006-07 campaign. The Jags have been ranked in the top 20 for 38 consecutive weeks and have appeared among the nation’s top 10 in 31 of the last 33 polls.

ASU is one of two Peach Belt Conference members to appear in the national rankings. Georgia College & State moved up from No. 17 to No. 14.

NABC/Coaches Poll
(as of Sunday, Feb. 28, 2010)
					Record  Pts.  Pvs.
1.  AUGUSTA STATE (4)			25-2 	194 	3
2.  Arkansas Tech (4) 			26-1 	187 	1
3.  Kentucky Wesleyan 			28-3 	179 	4
4.  Central Missouri 			25-2 	177 	2
5.  Indiana (Pa.) 			25-2 	170 	6
6.  Midwestern State (Texas) 		25-2 	163 	7
7.  Valdosta State (Ga.) 		24-3 	152 	8
8.  Minnesota State 			24-3 	142 	5
9.  Seattle Pacific (Wash.) 		22-3 	136 	9
10. West Liberty (W.Va.) 		25-1 	127 	12
11. Southern Indiana 			24-3 	124 	10
12. Florida Southern 			24-3 	115 	11
13. Fort Hays State (Kan.) 		22-5 	107 	15
14. Georgia College & State 		22-4 	91 	17
15. Augustana (S.D.) 			22-5 	80 	19
16. Stonehill (Mass.) 			23-4 	75 	18
17. Rollins (Fla.) 			22-5 	63 	13
18. West Virginia State 		24-3 	53 	21
19. Bentley (Mass.) 			22-5 	43 	14
20. Clark Atlanta (Ga.) 		22-5 	42 	20
21. Western Washington 			24-5 	40 	24
22. Drury (Mo.) 			23-5 	33 	22
23. Mesa State (Colo.) 			22-4 	31 	23
24. St. Cloud State (Minn.) 		22-5 	29 	16
25. Central Oklahoma 			22-5 	15 	NR

Dropped out: Kutztown (25)
Others receiving votes: Metropolitan State (Colo.) 11, Bellarmine (Ky.) 6, Mount Olive (N.C.) 5, St.
Augustine’s (N.C.) 5, East Stroudsburg (Pa.) 4, Kutztown (Pa.) 1.
*Records are through games of Feb. 28, 2010; previous ranking is from Feb. 23 poll.

--Courtesy ASU Athletics

Head coach Cleve Wright’s program became only the second in school history to reach the nation’s highest ranking. The Gannon women’s lacrosse team was ranked No. 1 nationally in 2000 and 2001. Prior to the 2009-10 season, the highest women’s basketball national ranking was No. 5 on January 30, 2002. The highest men’s basketball national ranking was No. 3 on February 8, 1988.

Gannon (28-0) received 25 of the 27 first-place votes, accumulating 672 points. Franklin Pierce (24-1) picked up the final two first-place votes and was second with 618 points. The University of Indianapolis (25-2), Fort Lewis (Colo.) (26-2) and Michigan Tech (23-2) completed the top five.

West Texas A&M (25-2), Arkansas Tech (23-2), Fort Valley State (Ga.) (24-1), Delta State (Miss.) (21-2) and Lander (S.C.) (22-2) rounded out the top 10.

Gannon is one of two Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) teams listed in the top 25. Millersville (Pa.) is tabbed 23rd.

Seton Hill (Pa.), California (Pa.) and Fayetteville State (N.C.) were the other Atlantic region programs that received votes, but did not appear in the top 25.

Gannon moved to 28-0 for the first time in school history with PSAC Western Division road victories at Edinboro (80-72) and Indiana (Pa.) (69-48) last week. The Lady Knights have won 38 consecutive regular-season games dating back to last season. The program’s last regular-season loss was a 65-52 setback at Indiana (Pa.) on January 24, 2009.

Few teams have matched Gannon’s success this season. The Lady Knights own the second-longest winning streak at any level of the NCAA, behind only NCAA Division I Connecticut’s 66-game streak. Gannon’s 38-game regular-season win streak also represents the second-longest at any level of the NCAA, behind UConn’s 65-game stretch. The squad is the lone undefeated team left in NCAA Division II and one of five teams at any level. Division I UConn (27-0), Division I Nebraska (25-0), Division III Amherst (25-0) and Division III Christopher Newport (25-0) also have unblemished marks.

Gannon (28-0, 12-0) returns to action Wednesday, February 24 against rival Mercyhurst at the Hammermill Center. Game time is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. The Lady Knights have already clinched the PSAC Western Division regular-season title and home-court advantage throughout the PSAC Tournament.

Tom Wood, who has guided the Lumberjacks to 10 NCAA postseason appearances during his 29 years directing the program, announced his plans to retire Tuesday. Currently 62, Wood has been coaching at the collegiate level for 37 years.

“I’m proud of the progress we’ve made in building the program into a regional and national power,” Wood said. “It’s going well here, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to go out on a positive note. The timing just seems right, for me personally, and in the best interest of the program.”

Midway through the 2009-10 season, Wood has compiled a 453-348 career record, all achieved as head coach at HSU.  During his tenure, Wood’s teams have posted eight 20-win seasons, a feat not accomplished once by any of the other head coaches in the Lumberjacks’  83 seasons of intercollegiate men’s basketball.

“Tom’s commitment to Humboldt State has been illustrated in both his program’s success and the community support it has generated,” Humboldt State Athletic Director Dan Collen said. “He has consistently set a high standard of excellence.

“Most important has been Tom’s commitment to the student-athletes he’s directed. He has always conducted his program with the players’ best interests in mind, academically, athletically and personally.”

Wood’s program has flourished during the scholarship era at HSU, posting an overall record of 207-74 during the new millennium. That success has been especially impressive on the Jacks’ home court, where Wood’s teams have recorded an impressive 121-17 record in Lumberjack Arena and its predecessor, the East Gym.

In the past decade Wood has coached seven All-Americans, and three of his players have been named NCAA Division II West Region Player of the Year.

“Interacting with the players, coaching them and preparing them, has been the most rewarding part of this job,” Wood said. “That continues with seeing them go on to their own successes in life, and thinking their experience here might have had something to do with that. I’ll miss that the most.”

As a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association for the past three years, Wood’s teams have won two league titles. In their fourth season as a CCAA member, the Jacks are currently in second place with a 9-3 record, and are 12-5 overall.

Prior to joining the CCAA, HSU experienced similar success in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. During their five years in the GNAC, Wood directed the Jacks to three GNAC titles.

The 2003-04 season was a record setting year for the program. Under Wood’s direction the program achieved its first ever NCAA Division II West Region title and a NCAA DII Elite Eight appearance. The Jacks finished with a program-record 28 wins.

A local resident who starred in basketball at South Fork High School in Miranda during his own prep career, Wood furthered his development as a player at UC Davis. He eventually earned a M.A. degree in Physical Education at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and began his coaching career with an eight-year stint as an assistant at that school, helping the program achieve three conference titles, two regional championships and one appearance in the NCAA Division II Final Four.

Wood returned to his Humboldt County roots in 1981-82, and quickly turned the Jacks into winners as they posted an 18-12 record in his second season.

In 1983, Wood was named co-Coach of the Year for the Northern California Athletic Conference after taking the Jacks to the NCAC championship.

The following season, 1984-85, Wood led the Jacks to an NCAC co-championship after his team won more games (21) than any other team in school history. The 1984-85 squad then advanced to the NCAA Division II West Region Championships, then repeated the feat five years later when they posted a 20-11 overall mark and earned another NCAC title.

When HSU joined the GNAC in 2000-2001, the Lumberjacks returned to the NCAA postseason with a squad laden with freshman, posting a season record of 20-8. Three more trips to the postseason followed, culminating in the 2003-04 Elite Eight appearance and first round victory that sent HSU to a semi-final game against eventual champion Kennesaw State.

Wood’s honors include being named Great Northwest Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2001-02 and West Region Division II Coach of the Year in 1989-90.

Tech’s ascension to the top spot in the national rankings came about thanks to the Wonder Boys wins last week over Henderson State (87-66) and Harding (82-71) and previous No. 1 Augusta State’s 81-75 loss this past Saturday at then No. 11 ranked Valdosta State.

The Wonder Boys, who earned 199 points and seven out of a possible eight first place votes this week, becomes the first Gulf South Conference team to headline the NABC/Division II Poll since Delta State was ranked No. 1 in 2006. The Statesmen held the top spot in the poll for two weeks from Feb. 28 until March 6 that year. The longest a GSC school has been ranked No. 1 was Montevallo, who held onto the top spot three times on two separate occasions (11/29/05-12/13/05 and 1/10/06-1/24/06).

Tech, who is 16-0 on the season following its two victories last week, is one of two GSC squads ranked in this week’s No. 10 as Valdosta State (16-2) jumped three spots to No. 8 after its upset win over Augusta State. In addition to Tech and Valdosta State, Delta State, who the Wonder Boys play host to on Saturday at Tucker Coliseum, earned one vote in this week’s poll.

Following Tech in the poll this week is Kutztown (14-0) at No. 2 and Minnesota State (16-0) jumps one spot to No. 3. Southern Indiana (16-0) leaps one spot to No. 4 and Fort Hays State (15-1), who earned the other first place vote, moves up one spot to No. 5 this week.

The next five in the poll begins with Augusta State (14-1) at No. 6 and the Jaguars are followed by Central Missouri (15-1) at No. 7 and Valdosta State at No. 8. Indiana [PA] (13-1) jumps three spots to No. 9 and Quincy [IL] (15-0) leaps four spots to No. 10 this week.

Midwestern State (14-1) falls four spots to No. 11 and the Mustangs are followed by Seattle Pacific (12-2) at No. 12 and Kentucky Wesleyan (17-2) falls three spots to No. 13. Bentley (14-2) jumps three spots to No. 14, while Western Washington (16-2) moves up four spots to No. 15 and Florida Southern (14-2) falls seven spots to No. 16. Mesa State (13-1) advances four spots to No. 17, while Montevallo (13-1) falls five spots to No. 18, Drury (13-3) jumps three spots to No. 19 and Rollins [FL] (12-3) moves up three spots to round out this week’s Top 20 at No. 20.

The final five teams in this week’s rankings are West Virginia State (11-1) at No. 21, Metro State (13-2) returns to this week’s poll at No. 22 and Augustana [SD] (14-2) falls five spots to No. 23. Southwest Baptist (15-4) falls eight spots to No. 24 and East Stroudsburg [PA] (14-1) drops one spot to No. 25 to round out this week’s poll.

Tech will put its No. 1 ranking to the test on Thursday, Jan. 21 when the Wonder Boys travel to Arkadelphia, Ark., to face Ouachita Baptist (4-12 overall, 0-3 GSC) in an 8 p.m. contest at Vining Arena. Following Thursday’s game, Tech will return home to play host to Delta State (12-3, 3-0 GSC) in a 6 p.m. contest at Tucker Coliseum on Saturday, Jan. 23.

–Courtesy ATU Athletics

Senior standout Johannah Leedham added to her already historic week as she dropped in 29 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the floor, including 7-of-11 from behind the three-point arc. Twenty-six (26) of those points came in the opening 20 minutes as she made nine of her 10 shots, including 6-of-7 treys. The point total gave her 2,525 for her career as she moved into eighth place in NCAA Division II women’s basketball history for career scoring. She also became just the ninth player in Division II history to top 2,500 points for her career.

Saturday’s scoring output came just days after Leedham dropped in 28 points in a road win at New Haven, which gave her the all-time career scoring record for men’s and women’s basketball in Northeast-10 Conference history.

Leedham capped her day versus SCSU with eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block.

The win for Franklin Pierce was its fourth in as many games since becoming the nation’s top-ranked team back on Jan. 5. The Ravens have won 28 of their last 29 games overall and 20-straight regular season games dating back to the end of last season.

Also of note from Saturday’s win was head coach Steve Hancock earning his 150th career victory on the Ravens bench. Hancock coached the Franklin Pierce women’s program for eight seasons from 1988-96 and compiled a 135-92 record with three trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament and two New England Collegiate Conference championships. Following a brief hiatus from the program, Hancock returned and spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach. He returned to the head coaching seat this season and has guided the top-ranked Ravens to their 15-0 start. Hancock’s 150 wins are the most for a head coach in program history.

Franklin Pierce returns to action Wednesday night when it plays host to Assumption at 5:30 p.m. in The Fieldhouse.

FULL STORY

–Courtesy FPC Athletics

The NCAA shopped around, but ultimately chose Springfield to host two more years of thrilling D-2 championship basketball.
“This is a first class venue and will continue to be a first class venue,” says Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno. After weeks of waiting, we’ve learned Springfield wasn’t the first choice. A town in Northern Kentucky backed out, so the NCAA went to it’s tried and true city, Springfield.

“It just took a long, long, time and clearly, there’s frustration about that but in the end, certainly they renewed in the city where it belongs. Everybody acknowledges that, from the NCAA, to the committee side to the city side. So good things are worth waiting for,” says Basketball Hall of Fame president John Doleva. And with record shattering attendance, to officials, the decision is a no-brainer.

“The last time it was out of Springfield in Grand Forks, ND, they had 4900 people for the entire week. We had 17,400,” Doleva says. But building the hype may be a tough task for the local committee. Since the decision was delayed, the window for state funds closed a long time ago. But officials are optimistic the NCAA will now contribute.

“This is on CBS TV, on championship Saturday and that is broadcast all around the world, so Springfield, the Mass Mutual Center, are seen all around the country for some great basketball,” Doleva says.

City officials would like the tournament to stay in Springfield, but it appears as of now, the city will need to apply after the contract expires.

–Courtesy WSHM-TV