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LANCASTER, PA -- The Franklin & Marshall College Athletic Department announced today that the Centennial Conference Western Division Champion Diplomats will tip-off the 2001-02 men's basketball season versus one of the toughest fields in the history of the S. Woodrow Sponaugle Collegiate Basketball Classic on November 16-17 at the Mayser Center. Historically a showdown between Elizabethtown, Millersville, York, F&M and Lebanon Valley College, the tournament's focus has shifted for the 35th edition to feature some of the best teams in the history of NCAA Division III. The 2001 tournament will feature four teams with a combined 55 NCAA Division III tournament appearances, 9 Final Fours and two national championships. First round pairings will be Salem State-Scranton at 6:00 and F&M-Springfield at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, November 16 with the consolation and championship games set for 6 and 8 p.m. on Saturday, November 17. For F&M, the tournament should be entitled the "Final Four" Sponaugle Tournament as the Diplomats will face off with teams they have not played since "Final Four" seasons in 2000 (Salem State), 1996 (Scranton) and 1979 (Springfield). The three-time defending champions, if F&M advances to the title game they will face one of a pair of perennially powerful opponents in Scranton and Salem State. Leading the way will be a possible second round match-up of Mid-Atlantic region juggernauts the University of Scranton, a two-time national champion (1976, 1983), and F&M. One of the best draws in the nation last year, in 14 home games the F&M men's basketball team attracted 14,205 fans to the Mayser Center, an average of 1,015 fans per contest, and good for 20th in the final Division III home attendance standings. Overall, 19,951 spectators would witness a Franklin & Marshall College game during the 2000-01 season as the team led the Centennial Conference in road attendance with 5,746 fans in 11 games. In region, only 10th ranked Wilkes University would better F&M's home crowd as the Colonels attracted an average of 1,300 fans through 16 games. Scranton placed 25th with 12,710 fans in 13 home dates, and averaged 10,519 on the road. Overall, both the Royals and Diplomats boast four Final Four appearances and 18 NCAA Division III tournament appearances. However, while F&M coach Glenn Robinson (599-221) will be seeking his 600th career victory during the tournament, Scranton will have a new face on the bench in first-year coach Carl Danzig, a former assistant coach at Bucknell University. Danzig replaces Bob Bessoir who compiled a 554-263 record from 1972-2001. In five meetings between the Diplomats and Royals, F&M holds a slim 3-2 advantage since their first meeting in 1981. Scranton last defeated F&M in 1988, as the Diplomats hold the last win over the Royals from a 1996 game. Another highlight of the tournament could be a second round rematch of the third place game between Salem State and F&M from the 2000 Final Four. F&M, which fell to Calvin 79-77 in the semifinals for the national championship on a last second shot, fell to the Vikings 79-75 in the third place contest as Salem's Ed Bourgogne hit 9 of 10 free-throws and pulled down a game high seven rebounds in the only game between the two programs. Salem State returns only two players from that magical 2000 squad, as the Vikings will be without the presence of four experienced seniors, including Bourgone, who graduated in May after compiling a 19-5 record in 2001. The Diplomats also return only two of their stars from their 2000 Final Four team in Cas Thomas (Sr., Neshaminy, PA/Neshaminy) and two-time All-American Alex Kraft (Sr., Lansdale, PA/Lansdale Catholic). A 2000 First Team and 2001 Honorable Mention All-America selection, Kraft averaged 16.9 points per game, a team best, in 35 minutes per game as F&M finished 18-7, 10-4 in Centennial Conference play last year. Kraft shot 47.3 percent from the field (142-300), 38.2 percent from three-point range (26-68) and 75.8 percent at the foul-line (119-157) while registering 7.2 rebounds per game during his junior season. Historically, Kraft has scored 1,269 points and needs 16 to overtake Swarthmore's Tim Schofield, who posted 1,284 from 1996-99, for seventh place on the all-time Centennial Conference scoring leader board. In addition, Kraft became only the eleventh player to collect 500-plus career caroms and now has 551, nine away from surpassing Hopkins' Greg Roehrig for 10th place in the all-time records of the conference. In addition, F&M loses no players from their 2001 squad, while Salem State, and sixth year head coach Brian Meehan, return 10 of 16 players who saw time last year, including five sophomores. Overall, the Vikings cagers have been selected for NCAA tournament play 14 times since their first appearance in 1980. The final team in the tournament, Springfield College, under fourth year head coach Charlie Brock, enters the Sponaugle Tournament following a 14-12 finish last year. A young team, Springfield returns 13 of 14 players from their 2001 squad following the graduation of 6-2 forward Lydell Capers, who averaged 11.1 points per game. A 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2000 participant in the NCAA Tournament, a Springfield-Salem State matchup in the consolation/championship round would be a rematch of the 2000 Division III Sectional Tournament "Sweet Sixteen" in which the Vikings edged the Pride 70-69 on their way to a Final Four appearance. Franklin & Marshall College is 2-0 in the all-time series versus Springfield following wins in 1941 and 1979. Historically, the Sponaugle Classic, a landmark event in the history of college basketball in Lancaster County, is sponsored by the F&M Athletic Department for the benefit of the American Field Service Scholarship Program and the students of Franklin & Marshall College. Founded by Carl Witmeyer, a well-known figure in Lancaster area athletics, and then F&M Athletic Director S. Woodrow "Woody" Sponaugle in March of 1966, the tournament was intended to create an event that would bring together area college basketball teams in an annual "tip-off" tournament. With Witmeyer's guidance, the first tournament was played in December 1967, seven months after the death of Sponaugle, for whom the tournament is named. From the beginning, the tournament was organized as a benefit to support Lancaster activities of the American Field Service scholarship program for international student exchanges. Co-sponsors with the McCaskey High School Chapter of AFS over past years have included the Lancaster Jaycees, the Wheatland Sertoma Club and the Lancaster Alumni Council of F&M. Since Witmeyer's death in December 1997, F&M's Athletic Department has managed the Classic, with support from the McCaskey High student and adult AFS chapters. One half of the proceeds from the tournament go toward McCaskey AFS exchange scholarships with the remaining fifty percent earmarked for projects at F&M of direct benefit to students. Last year, F&M claimed the tournament title over Elizabethtown College behind a season high 33 point performance from guard Duran Searles (So., Camden, NJ/Peddie School) after downing York 81-60 in the opening round. In the previous 34 tournaments, F&M has claimed 17 titles. Lebanon Valley (5), Millersville (5), Elizabethtown (4), Alvernia (1), Goucher (1) and Juniata (1) have also claimed championships.
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