Lycoming News

The Indiana University of Pennsylvania Crimson Hawks and East Stroudsburg University Warriors have been selected to win the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western and Eastern Divisions, respectively, in the 2022-23 Men’s Basketball Preseason Polls, the league office announced Thursday. Preseason polls are determined by votes from league head coaches.

PSAC WEST

IUP received eight of a possible nine first-place votes in the Western Division poll. The Crimson Hawks come off a 33-3 season in 2021-22 that included both PSAC and Atlantic Region Championship wins, along with a trip to the Division II NCAA Final Four. Four members of the Final Four team will return including All-PSAC First Team selections David Morris and Ethan Porterfield. Also coming back is graduate student guard Shawndale Jones, who averaged 25.0 points per game before a season-ending injury in the seventh game of 2021-22. Posting a combined 91 victories in the past three seasons and three consecutive PSAC tournament titles, the team will look for continued success as one of the nation’s best men’s basketball programs over the last several years.

In the second spot is Mercyhurst who snagged a single first-place vote after finishing second in the West last season with a 25-7 overall record. Ousted by Millersville in the 2022 PSAC semifinals, the Lakers went on to the Atlantic Region semifinals where their season ended in an elimination by IUP. The team will retain the majority of their scoring as as three of their four top scorers return, including All-PSAC First Team member, MiyKah McIntosh.

Selected third was California (Pa.). The Vulcans finished last year with a 23-10 overall record behind a 15-7 tally in conference play, marking their first winning season since advancing to the Elite Eight in 2008. They also made the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2008, but their run was ended in the Atlantic Regional Championship game by IUP. Key returnees include Keith Palek III as well as Jermaine Hall Jr. who missed 2021-22 due to injury.

Behind the Vulcans in fourth is Pitt-Johnstown. The Mountain Cats posted their second straight 20-win season, made their seventh straight PSAC Tournament appearance, and advanced to the PSAC Quarterfinals for the third consecutive year. All-American and three-time PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Year John Paul Kromka will come back to lead the team for his senior season.

Tabbed fifth in the West is Slippery Rock. The Rock comes off a solid 2021-22 season in which it went 17-12 overall and 13-9 in the PSAC West on the way to earning a fifth-straight berth into the PSAC Tournament. Veteran point guard Amante Britt returns as last season’s third-leading scorer, averaging 13.6 points per game.

Gannon was tabbed for sixth place after an injury-ridden 2021-22 season in which they finished fourth in the West. Newcomers will likely play a key role in Gannon’s success in 2022-23 as head coach Kelvin Jefferson brought in nine new players to the roster.

Rounding out the PSAC West are Clarion, Edinboro, and Seton Hill.

PSAC EAST

Sitting atop the PSAC East with seven first-place votes is East Stroudsburg. This year’s ESU squad will look largely the same as 15 of the 18 members from the 2021-22 team return. Key players for the upcoming season will be found in reigning PSAC East Athlete of the Year Carlos Pepin and All-PSAC East Second Team Lakeem McAliley. The Warriors finished second in the division last year with 19-8 overall and 17-5 PSAC records, and their postseason ended in the PSAC quarterfinals with a loss to Shippensburg.

Shippensburg picked up a first-place vote from league head coaches to earn second place in the preseason poll. Shippensburg posted a 16-6 conference mark last year to end up at third in the division. Returning 12 players from last year’s team, All-PSAC First Team Rashon Johnson will be back to headline. Johnson led the Raiders in total points (473) and ranked among the top ten in the conference in total rebounds with 221. The Raiders will also look to maintain their defensive prowess as the top scoring defense in the East from last year.

Slotting in third is West Chester. West Chester made its 10th consecutive PSAC Tournament appearance in 2021-22, advancing to the PSAC Quarterfinals before falling to top-seed Millersville. As a team, West Chester led the PSAC in points per game last year, averaging 83.8, while also ranking as second in the nation in offensive rebounds per game with 15.1. The Golden Rams return three of five starters including leading scorer and All-PSAC Second Team Robert Smith.

Also nabbing a first-place vote is fourth-place Millersville. In 2021-22, Millersville won its first PSAC East title since 2007 and advanced to the PSAC Championship game and NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008. The Marauders will look to new faces—two transfers and six freshmen—to replicate previous successes as only one starter in Justin Nwosu returns for the upcoming season.

Picked fifth is Shepherd who comes off a 12-17 overall mark with an 8-14 record in PSAC play. The Rams will be a relatively young team with 10 underclassmen, but two of their previous top five scorers—junior guards Daniel McClain-Corley and Phillip Jordan—return to lead.

Kutztown, 6-16 in 2021, stand in sixth place in the poll. The Golden Bears missed the last postseason, however, they bring back Wesley Butler who ranked top 10 in the conference in steals per game (1.7).

Filling out the remainder of the Eastern Division poll are Lock Haven, Bloomsburg, and Mansfield, respectively.

The 2022-23 regular season will begin November 11th with PSAC play set to start December 2nd.

2022-23 Men’s Basketball Preseason Polls

West (# of 1st Place Votes)

1. IUP (8)

2. Mercyhurst (1)

3. California (Pa.)

4. Pitt-Johnstown

5. Slippery Rock

6. Gannon

7. Clarion

8. Edinboro

9. Seton Hill

East

1. East Stroudsburg (7)

2. Shippensburg (1)

3. West Chester

4. Millersville (1)

5. Shepherd

6. Kutztown

7. Lock Haven

8. Bloomsburg

9. Mansfield

ABOUT THE PSAC

Headquartered in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division II Conference comprised of 18 institutions in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The member institutions are Bloomsburg, California (Pa.), Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Gannon, Indiana (Pa.), Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Mercyhurst, Millersville, Pitt-Johnstown, Seton Hill, Shepherd, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester.

Original source can be found here.