NEW YORK - The Manhattan College men's basketball team was picked to finish eighth in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Preseason Coaches' Poll, and the women's squad was tabbed to finish ninth, it was announced during the conference's annual Media Day at ESPN Zone Times Square. In addition, senior guard Darryl Crawford (Harlem, N.Y.) was selected to the Preseason All-MAAC Third Team.
Two-time defending MAAC champion Siena was the near-unanimous pick to repeat, earning nine first place votes and 99 points in the poll of the MAAC's 10 head coaches. Niagara finished second with 87 points, while Rider picked up the remaining first place vote and collected 82 points in the poll. Fairfield was fourth with 67 points, while Loyola and Saint Peter's tied for fifth with 45 points apiece. Canisius placed seventh with 43 points, followed by the Jaspers (40). Iona (30) and Marist (12) rounded out the poll.
"After having so few seniors over the past couple of years, it's nice to have a group that's able to take on a leadership role this season," Manhattan Head Coach Barry Rohrssen said.
Joining Crawford on the Preseason All-MAAC Third Team were Greg Logins and Frank Turner of Canisius, as well as Rider's Novar Gadson and Mike Ringgold. The Preseason All-MAAC Second Team consisted of Fairfield's Greg Nero, Loyola's Jamal Barney and Wesley Jenkins of Saint Peter's, as well as Siena's Alex Franklin and Ryan Rossiter. Bilal Benn and Tyrone Lewis from Niagara, Siena's Ronald Moore and Edwin Ubiles joined Rider's Ryan Thompson, the Preseason Player of the Year on the Preseason All-MAAC First Team.
On the women's side, four-time defending MAAC champion Marist was unanimously pegged to repeat. Iona was picked second by all 10 coaches, earning 90 points in the poll. Canisius was third with 75 points, followed by Rider (60) and Saint Peter's (55). Fairfield placed sixth with 51 points, while Loyola was seventh with 42 and Siena was eighth with 39. The Lady Jaspers earned 26 points, and Niagara had 12 points.
"I know that we're young," Manhattan's first-year women's Head Coach John Olenowski said, "but we do have some talent, so I think we're extremely capable."
The Preseason All-MAAC Third Team consisted of Micayla Drysdale of Canisius, Loyola's Kaitlin Grant, Marist's Lynzee Johnson, Niagara's Liz Flooks and Allie Lindemann of Siena. Ellie Radke of Canisius and Stephanie Geehan of Fairfield joined a trio of Iona players: Kristina Ford, Anda Ivkovic and Anna McLean on the Preseason All-MAAC Second Team. Brittane Russell of Canisius, Iona's Thazina Cook and Rider's Tammy Meyers joined Marist's Erica Allenspach and Rachele Fitz on the Preseason All-MAAC First Team. Fitz, the two-time defending MAAC Player of the Year, was the Preseason Player of the Year.
The Manhattan women open the regular season with a matchup against St. Francis (NY) at Draddy Gymnasium on Nov. 13. The men's team kicks off the season the following day when NJIT comes to Draddy Gymnasium.
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