Oct. 18, 2017 Patriot League Release
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - The Navy men's basketball team has been selected third in the 2017-18 Patriot League Men's Basketball Preseason Poll, the league office announced Wednesday. Additionally, senior guard
Shawn Anderson was named to the five-player Preseason All-Patriot League Team.
The league's 10 head coaches and men's basketball sports information contacts voted on the preseason poll and preseason all-league team, and could not vote for their own team or student-athletes.
Reigning champion Bucknell was unanimously picked first in the preseason poll, receiving 18 first-place votes. Boston University was picked second in the poll and was followed by Navy, Lehigh and Colgate in the top five. Loyola was picked sixth and the poll was rounded out by Army West Point, Holy Cross, American and Lafayette.
Navy's third-place position is its highest since being picked second prior to the 2001-02 season.
Navy was picked eighth in last season's preseason poll before finishing in sole possession of fourth place in the final league standings.
Anderson was joined on the Preseason All-Patriot League Team by Bucknell's Nana Foulland and Zach Thomas, Loyola's Andre Walker, and Lehigh's Kahron Ross. All five of the preseason all-league players are seniors. Foulland was tabbed as the preseason player of the year.
Anderson, Navy's team captain, is the first Navy men's basketball player to be named to the Preseason All-Patriot League Team since Jordan Sugars prior to the 2011-12 season. Anderson was named to the All-Patriot League Second Team at the end of the 2016-17 season.
Anderson led Navy in scoring for the second straight season last year with 12.2 points per game. Anderson was also second on the team in both rebounding (4.4) and assists (2.9). Anderson averaged a team-best 13.2 points as a sophomore in 2015-16.
Seventh-year head coach Ed DeChellis guided Navy to a 16-16 overall record last season and a 10-8 mark in the Patriot League. The Mids advanced to the Patriot League Tournament Semifinals for the first since 2001, where they fell to Bucknell, 70-65. Navy increased its conference win total for the fifth straight season under DeChellis.
Navy returns four starters for the 2017-18 season in Anderson, senior guard Bryce Dulin, senior forward Tom Lacey and junior point guard Hasan Abdullah.
Navy will open the 2017-18 season by hosting the fourth annual Veterans Classic at Alumni Hall on Nov. 10. Alabama will face Memphis at 6:30 PM and Navy will host Pittsburgh on 9:00 PM. Veterans Classic tickets are available on navysports.com.
2017-18 Patriot League Men's Basketball Preseason Poll1. Bucknell, 162 (18 first-place votes)2. Boston University, 141 (2)3. Navy, 1204. Lehigh, 1085. Colgate, 1046. Loyola Maryland 787. Army West Point, 668. Holy Cross, 489. American, 3910 Lafayette, 27
2017-18 Patriot League Men's Basketball Preseason All-League TeamNana Foulland, Bucknell, Sr., CZach Thomas, Bucknell, Sr., FAndre Walker, Loyola Maryland, Sr., GKahron Ross, Lehigh, Sr., GShawn Anderson, Navy, Sr., G2017-18 Patriot League Men's Basketball Preseason Player of the YearNana Foulland, Bucknell, Sr., C
