Diplomats Rank First in February 4 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Mid-Atlantic Region Poll

by Sports Information
2/4/04

LANCASTER, PA -- The Franklin & Marshall College men's basketball team is ranked first in the February 4 NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Region Poll.

Ranked #14 in the February 3 D3hoops.com national poll, the Diplomats are the only Centennial Conference team ranked in the region as the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference's Alvernia (#2) and Gwynedd Mercy (#3), Middle Atlantic Corporation's Kings (#4) and DeSales (#6) and Capital Athletic Conference's Mary Washington (#5) round out the region's top five.

One of the most successful programs in the history of NCAA Division III basketball with a record of 1114-790 record, Franklin & Marshall is off to a 16-2 start, including an 11-0 mark in Centennial Conference play.

Leading the way last week was February 2 Centennial Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week Steve Juskin (Sr., East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park).

In a 2-0 week, Juskin averaged 19.5 points, 7.5 rebound, 5.5 assists and 3.5 blocks as the Diplomats knocked off Johns Hopkins (81-60 W) and Swarthmore (97-54 W).

Against John Hopkins at home in the Mayser Center, he flirted with a quadruple-double recording 23 points, seven rebounds, nine assists and six blocked shots before notching six points on six-of-seven shooting at Swarthmore.

In addition, the 6-6 center shot 65.2 percent (15-of-23) from the field as the Diplomats are now 11-0 in 2004 since returning from the holiday break.

For his career, he ranks 10th in Centennial Conference history in rebounds (661) and 13th in scoring (1,283) and holds the Conference record in blocked shots with 286.

In the latest Centennial Conference statistics, he ranks among the CC leaders in scoring (14.6 ppg, 12th), rebounding (6.7 rpg, fifth), field goal percentage (.534, eighth), assists (3.83 apg, fourth), blocked shots (3.89 bpg, first), assist/turnover ratio (1.30, seventh), offensive rebounds (2.17 rpg, sixth) and defensive rebounds (4.56 rpg, eighth).

Franklin & Marshall ranks among the CC team leaders in scoring offense (82.2 ppg, first), scoring margin (+18.6, first), field goal percentage (.500, first), field goal percentage defense (.406, first), home attendance (959 pg, first), total attendance (718 pg, first), blocked shots (6.28 bpg, first), assists (17.56 apg, first), turnover margin (+4.83, first), assist/turnover ratio (1.22, first), offensive rebounds (13.56 rpg, first), scoring defense (63.6 ppg, second), three point field goal percentage (.373, second), rebounding offense (38.4 rpg, second), rebounding margin (+7.9 rpg, second), rebounding defense (30.6 rpg, third), steals (9.00 spg, third), defensive rebounds (24.89 rpg, fourth) and three point field goals (7.11 pg, fourth)

The Diplomats will return to action on February 4 at Gettysburg College. Game time is set for 8:00 p.m.

The NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Basketball Polls are available online at www.ncaa.org/polls/m_w_basketball.html