Men's Basketball Ranked 5th In D2SIDA Regional Poll

12/3/2018 11:27:00 AM

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

D2SIDA MEN'S BASKETBALL EAST REGION MEDIA POLL WEEK 4 - DECEMBER 3, 2018
Rank	School	Pts.	Record	Previous
1.	St. Anselm (6)	60	6-0	1
2.	Bentley	54	7-0	2
3.	St. Thomas Aquinas	48	6-1	3
4.	New Haven	41	5-1	4
5.	DAEMEN	37	4-1	6
6.	Bridgeport	24	4-2	8
7.	Jefferson	23	4-3	5
8.	Le Moyne	18	5-3	7
9.	Pace	16	6-2	NR
10.	Southern New Hampshire	5	5-3	9
( ) - denotes first-place votes

AMHERST, N.Y. - The Daemen College men's basketball team is ranked fifth in the NCAA Division II Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA) East Region media poll for week four of the 2018-19 season which was released this morning.

Daemen (4-1, 0-0 ECC) earned 37 points in the poll voting, raising one position after being ranked sixth last week. The Wildcats debuted in the poll in a tie for third on Nov. 12.

Saint Anselm College is the unanimous pick atop the poll, receiving all six available first-place votes and 60 points. The Hawks, who visit Daemen for a non-conference game later this season, are ranked first for the fourth consecutive week. Fellow Northeast-10 Conference member Bentley University (54 points) comes in second, while Daemen's East Coast Conference brethren St. Thomas Aquinas College (48 points) comes in third. The University of New Haven (41 points) sits just four points ahead of Daemen in fourth. There was no change among the top four teams in the poll from last week.

After suffering their first loss of the season at Mercyhurst University on Nov. 14, Daemen has responded with back-to-back wins, knocking off Slippery Rock University (78-71 on Nov. 24) and Lake Erie College (71-51 on nov. 26). Both recent wins came at the friendly confines of Lumsden Gymnasium where Daemen has won eight straight contests dating back to last year (perfect 4-0 this season).

The Wildcats feature four players who are averaging at least 12 points per game. That group is headlined by redshirt sophomore center Andrew Sischo (Guilderland, N.Y.), the 2018-19 East Coast Conference Preseason Player of the Year. Sischo has recorded double-doubles in all five games this season, and is producing 22.4 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. He was named the ECC Player of the Week after erupting for 31 points and 15 rebounds in the win over Slippery Rock.

Jeff Redband (Batavia, N.Y.), Breon Harris (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) and Deion Hamilton (Rochester, N.Y.) are also producing for head coach Mike MacDonald. Redband is shooting 50 percent from the field and 54.2 percent from three-point range with a team-high 13 three-pointers. He is contributing 14.2 points per game and recently became just the seventh player in team history to reach 150 three-point field goals in a career. Harris has reached double figures in four of five games this season, and is producing 12.6 points per game. Hamilton has made a successful return to the lineup after missing the final 20 games last season. He is averaging 12.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, and he leads the team in assists (20) and steals (9).

With 13 returning players off last season's 22-8 team, expectations are high for MacDonald's club at the season's outset. The Wildcats were picked second in the ECC preseason poll, and 22nd in the Division II Bulletin preseason national poll, while also receiving top-25 votes in both the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and D2SIDA preseason national polls.

Daemen returns to action Wednesday, Dec. 5 when they renew the Thruway Rivalry by visiting Roberts Wesleyan College. It marks Daemen's first East Coast Conference contest of the season, and it has been selected as part of the NCAA Division II Basketball Showcase. The game will be broadcast across various mediums, including the NCAA Facebook and Twitter pages.

The East Region of NCAA Division II is comprised of teams from the East Coast Conference, the Northeast-10 Conference and the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, and the East Region media poll is voted on by sports information professionals from around the region.

For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.

Print Friendly Version