IUP once again is favored to win the PSAC West Division in men’s and women’s basketball.
The conference announced results of its preseason coaches polls Thursday.
East Stroudsburg’s men were voted as the top team in the Eastern Division, while Kutztown is the women’s favorite in the east.
MEN
East Stroudsburg lost in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament and averaged 87.3 points. Coach Jeff Wilson has more than 300 wins.
The other team to watch in the East is Shippensburg, coached by Latrobe grad Chris Fite. The Raiders have four straight 20-win seasons and return junior point guard Jake Biss, another Latrobe product who averaged 15.8 points.
There will be a new team in the PSAC East with Shepherd University joining the conference.
IUP went 30-3 last season and won its 10th conference title. Senior Malik Miller (16.4 ppg) returns for 305-win coach Joe Lombardi.
Slippery Rock is No. 2 in the West. The Rock returns eight players from a 19-win team, including redshirt senior Micah Till (21 ppg/10 rpg). Lower Burrell’s Bob Rukavina leads Pitt-Johnstown, picked to take third in the West. Gateway grad John Paul Kromka (14.9) returns for the Mountain Cats after a freshman-of-the-year season.
Rukavina needs 15 wins to reach 500.
Seton Hill returns all-conference guard Nathan Davis (19.2 ppg).
Complete men’s poll:
PSAC East
1) East Stroudsburg (4 votes)
2) Shippensburg (3)
3) West Chester (1)
4) Millersville
5) Kutztown (1)
6) Lock Haven
7) Shepherd
8) Bloomsburg
9) Mansfield
PSAC West
1) IUP (7)
2) Slippery Rock
3) Pitt-Johnstown (2)
4) Mercyhurst
5) Cal (Pa.)
6) Gannon
T7) Edinboro
T7) Seton Hill
9) Clarion
…
WOMEN
Kutztown has three starters back, including junior Rylee Derr (17 ppg; 89 3-pointers) and the Bears are strong favorites in the East, with Bloomsburg at No. 2, led by coach of the year Alison Tagliaferri.
IUP, which reached the No. 1 national ranking last season and went 30-4, is expected to repeat in the West. Seniors Lexi Griggs (Vincentian) and Natalie Myers (Burrell) return.
Cal (Pa.) was picked to take second in the West. An intriguing pickup was graduate transfer Monica Burns (Hempfield), who played at Wheeling Jesuit, has more than 1,000 career points and holds the national record for consecutive free throws made.
Seton Hill returns five of its six top scorers, including Cheyenne Trest (12 ppg).
Complete women’s poll:
PSAC East
1) Kutztown (7 votes)
2) Bloomsburg (2)
3) Shippensburg
T4) West Chester
T4) Millersville
6) East Stroudsburg
7) Lock Haven
8) Shepherd
9) Mansfield
PSAC West
1) IUP (5)
2) Cal (2)
3) Edinboro (1)
4) Pitt-Johnstown
5) Seton Hill (1)
6) Gannon
7) Slippery Rock
8) Mercyhurst
9) Clarion
