About the Eagles
The 2011-12 Emory men's basketball team looks to continue and build upon the momentum gained from last year's successful campaign that saw the Eagles post an overall record of 20-5 (the program's first 20-win season since 1989-90), including an 11-3 slate in the UAA, good for second place, with that win total the second highest in school annals.
Emory will have an extremely talented backcourt in 2011-12, headlined by 5-foot-9 Austin Claunch. The heady point guard is coming off a banner season that saw him post team-high averages in scoring (16.5 ppg), assists (7.4 apg) and minutes (36.3 mpg). A First Team All-UAA pick for two straight seasons, he ranked among the league's top-10 performers in six statistical categories and paced the loop in assists, minutes, steals (1.9 spg), free throw percentage (.875), and assist/turnover ratio (3.0). An All-South Region honoree as chosen by both D3hoops.com and the National Association of Basketball Coaches, Claunch has garnered 2011-12 Preseason Honorable Mention All-America honors as picked by The Sporting News and DIII News.
About the Panthers
Ferrum finds itself ranked third in the pre-sesaon USA South Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Poll. They were picked behind N.C. Wesleyan and Christopher Newport who were chosen first and second, respectively.
Coach Bill Tharp's team returns three of five starters from last year's squad that went 23-5 and 10-2 in the USA South.
Returning for the Pathers is senior Marcus Mayo. Mayo was named to the USA South All-Conference third team in 2010-11. He averaged 11.4 points per game, and ranked third on the team in steals (39) and assist (62).
Also returning for the Panthers is Daryl Hart, who averaged 8.4 points per game and led the team in three-pointers made with 41. Lamont King will also see action again as he was the third leading scorer with 9.2 points per game. King also ranked second on the team in field goal percentage (.616) and was second in total rebounds 119.
About the Maroons
The Maroons finished with a six-win turnaround, 12-15 last season in a rebuilding campaign and ready to build on last year's improvement. With a strong sophomre class and a senior nucleus in Adam Kessler and Logan Singleton, it appears that another improved season is already in the works.
The Maroons fell to Furman in an exhibition last Friday, but was a great experience for both the players and the program. Only a handful of teams at the Div. III level get to play against Div. I competition on an annual basis. Roanoke has been able to play against Radford (2009) and Virginia (2010) over the past two seasons.
Page Moir, Roanoke and ODAC's all-time winningest coach, enters his 23rd season at the helm and needs only two more wins to pass Bob Johnson (E&H) as the conference's career wins leader. He already holds the conference wins record (228). For the storied 99-year program, the Maroons need only 17 wins to earn win milestone #1,300.
The schedule will be tough this year, as they open with #13 Emory and USA-South Runner-Up Ferrum, who finished 23-5 last winter. Virginia Wesleyan is ranked #1 in the country and will have to play against the Marlins twice this season. Also on the docket is #23 Hampden-Sydney and ODAC regular champs, Randolph-Macon, and Eastern Mennonite, which recieved votes in the national poll.
The game notes for the Maroon's contest vs. #13 Emory are available HERE.
The game notes for the Maroon's contest vs. Ferrum are available HERE.
