Daemen Ranked 22nd In Division II Bulletin Preseason Poll

By: By Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for External Operations & Communications

Men's Basketball | 10/15/2018 3:19:00 PM

AMHERST, N.Y. - The Daemen College men's basketball team is the No. 22 ranked team in the 2018-19 preseason edition of the Division II Bulletin, a national publication that specializes in the coverage of NCAA Division II men's basketball. It marks the first time in Daemen's NCAA Division II era that the Wildcats have appeared in the Division II Bulletin national rankings.

Daemen, which is also listed as the top team in the Division II Bulletin's preview of the East Coast Conference, is one of just two teams from the East Region to be included in the publication's national rankings, joining St. Anselm College of the Northeast-10 Conference which is ranked fifth. Daemen meets St. Anselm at Lumsden Gymnasium on January 2.

The complete Division II Bulletin top 25 rankings include:
1. Bellarmine
2. Northwest Missouri
3. West Texas A&M
4. Lincoln Memorial
5. St. Anselm
6. West Liberty
7. Western Washington
8. Nova Southeastern
9. West Florida
10. East Stroudsburg
11. Queens (N.C.)
12. Morehouse
13. Indiana (Pa.)
14. Southwest Minnesota
15. Ferris State
16. Cal Poly Pomona
17. Southern Nazarene
18. Regis
19. Findlay
20. Clayton State
21. Valdosta State
22. Daemen
23. Florida Southern
24. UNC-Pembroke
25. UC-San Diego

The Wildcats return 13 players, including all five starters, from their 2017-18 team that went 22-8 overall and 15-3 in ECC play. It marked the seventh consecutive season that Daemen has won at least 19 games, and the Wildcats also earned their third straight berth in the ECC Championship tournament.

The group of returners is undoubtedly headlined by 6-foot-9 sophomore center Andrew Sischo (Guilderland, N.Y.), the 2017-18 ECC Rookie of the Year and a first team All-ECC selection. Sischo was downright dominant on the interior last season as he led the team in points (462), points per game (15.4), made field goals (195), field goal percentage (56.5%), rebounds (261), rebounds per game (8.7) and blocked shots (25).

Redshirt junior forward Jeff Redband (Batavia, N.Y.), a third team All-ECC selection, also returns to the Wildcat frontcourt. The 6-foot-7 sharpshooter averaged 11.2 points per game while knocking down a team-high 69 three-pointers last season. With just two seasons under his belt, Redband already ranks ninth in team history with 137 three-point field goals to his name.

In the backcourt, the Wildcats retain the services of senior Darius Garvin (Elmira, N.Y.), redshirt junior Jay Sarkis (Rochester, N.Y.) and junior Breon Harris (Niagara Falls, N.Y.). Garvin was named the team's MVP after averaging 9.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Only Sarkis (1,056 minutes) logged more minutes than Garvin's 1,022, and the latter opens his final campaign with 86 games and 70 starts under his belt. Speaking of Sarkis, he enjoyed his finest season to date, averaging 12.4 points and 3.5 assists per game with 68 three-pointers en route to third team All-ECC honors. Harris' insertion into the starting lineup coincided with the Wildcats' run of 16 wins in their final 17 regular season games. He also earned third-team All-ECC honors after averaging 9.6 points per game and finishing second in the league with 70 steals.

Deion Hamilton (Rochester, N.Y.) and Nick Petrucelli (Hicksville, N.Y.) are also set to return to the fold. Hamilton was averaging a team-high 15.1 points through the first 10 games before being lost for the season. Petrucelli suffered the second season-ending injury of his career after appearing in just two games last season. He'll be looking to regain the form that had him averaging 9.9 points per game in 2015-16.

The Wildcats will get their season underway with an exhibition contest against NCAA Division I affiliate and defending Mid-American Conference champion University at Buffalo on Oct. 26. The Wildcats tip it up for real on Nov. 9 and 10 when they host the ECC-CACC Challenge presented by Western New York Knee and Orthopedic Surgery PC; the Wildcats take on Caldwell University in the opener, and face Nyack College in the event's capper. ECC play gets underway on Dec. 5 when the Wildcats go for their 16th consecutive win against longtime rival Roberts Wesleyan College.

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Players Mentioned

#12 Darius Garvin: G; 6' 1"; Senior

#25 Deion Hamilton: G/F; 6' 4"; Redshirt Senior

#2 Breon Harris: G; 5' 9"; Junior

#24 Nick Petrucelli: G; 6' 3"; Redshirt Senior

#44 Jeff Redband: F; 6' 7"; Redshirt Junior

#5 Jay Sarkis: G; 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior

#22 Andrew Sischo: C; 6' 9"; Redshirt Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#12 Darius Garvin
: 6' 1"; Senior
: G

#25 Deion Hamilton
: 6' 4"; Redshirt Senior
: G/F

#2 Breon Harris
: 5' 9"; Junior
: G

#24 Nick Petrucelli
: 6' 3"; Redshirt Senior
: G

#44 Jeff Redband
: 6' 7"; Redshirt Junior
: F

#5 Jay Sarkis
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior
: G

#22 Andrew Sischo
: 6' 9"; Redshirt Sophomore
: C