Wednesday, October 24, 2007

TUSCULUM MEN PICKED FIFTH IN SAC BASKETBALL POLL

"Jordan Lear Named to Preseason All-Conference Team"

Jordan Lear

HICKORY, N.C. --- The Tusculum College men's basketball team is picked to finish fifth in the South Atlantic Conference according to the 2007-08 SAC Coaches' poll released Wednesday at the league's annual Basketball Media Day in Hickory, N.C.

The Pioneers received 29 points in the poll of the conference's eight men's basketball coaches. Tusculum returns five lettermen, including senior forward Jordan Lear, the lone returning starter from last year's 13-15 squad.

Wingate University, last year's Food Lion SAC Tournament Champion, is the favorite to win this season's championship. The Bulldogs return several key players from last year's team, receiving four first place votes and 59 total points. Lenoir-Rhyne College is picked second with three first-place nods and 56 points, while Catawba College is third with 49 points and a first place vote. Carson-Newman College is fourth with 36 points, followed by Tusculum, Lincoln Memorial University (23), Newberry College (20) and Mars Hill College (16).

Lear was also named to the Preseason All-Conference Second Team, which is selected by the league's sports information directors. Lear, a 6-7, 245-pound native of Zanesville, Ohio, averaged 12.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game last season. Lear missed five games last year due to a back injury, but he returns at 100 percent to lead the Pioneers in his final collegiate campaign.

Tusculum will host its Orange & Black scrimmage on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. from Pioneer Arena. The Pioneers will play three exhibition contests in November, beginning with a Nov. 1 match-up at Lipscomb University in Nashville. Tusculum will also face Kennesaw State University (Nov. 3) and Vanderbilt University (Nov. 5) in exhibitions.

Tusculum opens the regular season Nov. 17-18 when it hosts the Sodexho Pioneer Classic.

- SAC -

SAC Preseason Men's Basketball Coaches' Poll
Rk.	Team (1^st Place Votes)	Pts.
1	Wingate (4)	59
2	Lenoir-Rhyne (3)	56
3	Catawba (1)	49
4	Carson-Newman	36
5	TUSCULUM	29
6	Lincoln Memorial	23
7	Newberry	20
8	Mars Hill	16

Preseason All-South Atlantic Conference Team

First Team

Antonio Houston, Catawba

Reggie Bratton, Lenoir-Rhyne

Josh Kindred, Lenoir-Rhyne

Clemente Martin, Newberry

Sean Barnette, Wingate

Bryan Grier, Wingate

Second Team

Scott Williams, Carson-Newman

Josh Rudder, Lenoir-Rhyne

Beau Brown, Lincoln Memorial

Stoney Polite, Mars Hill

Terrance Spillers, Newberry

Jordan Lear, Tusculum