LOCK HAVEN, PA – The Clarion University men’s basketball team is picked to finish seventh in the PSAC West according to a preseason poll of the league’s coaches.
The Golden Eagles, who went 15-13 overall and 11-11 in the PSAC West a year ago, must replace nearly 60 percent of their scoring and 55 percent of their rebounding from that team.
Three returning starters and a pair of transfers are expected to lead the way.
Junior forward Mike Kromka started 16 of 28 games last year and averaged 7.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game finishing third on the team in rebounding.
Senior guard Calvin Edward started 25 of 28 games and was the team’s third-leading scorer (13.1 ppg) and leading three-point shooter (59 3’s) while adding 3.2 rebounds per contest and 72 assists, the second most on the team.
Fellow senior Leonard Patterson was the starting point guard last year and going to play both the point and the two this season after leading the team with 87 assists and adding 8.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per contest.
Two newcomers with collegiate experience will join the three returners.
Anthony Baker, a junior guard, was Lock Haven’s leading scorer the past two years averaging 11.6 points per game last year and 9.8 as a freshman.
Sophomore point guard Marques Jones comes to Clarion from NCAA Division I New Jersey Institute of Technology where he appeared in 22 games and scored 41 points to go with 23 rebounds and 12 assists last year.
Clarion opens its season at 7 p.m. Nov. 12 when it hosts Thiel.
NOTES – The Golden Eagles are coached by Ron Righter, who is in his 25th season at Clarion. In a nearly a quarter century, Righter is the all-time wins leader for Clarion with a career mark of 390-260. He has guided the Golden Eagles to 17 seasons of at least 15 wins and three 20-win campaigns as well as the 1997, 2000 and 2005 PSAC West titles and the 2001 PSAC title that included a spot in the NCAA Division II tournament … This year, for the first time, the top six teams in the PSAC West will advance to the PSAC Tournament. Last year, four teams made the postseason.
PSAC WEST PRESEASON POLL
(First-place votes in parenthesis)
1. IUP (3)
2. Slippery Rock (3)
3. Gannon (1)
4. Edinboro (1)
5. California
6. Mercyhurst
7. Clarion
8. Lock Haven
