Men's Basketball Picked 10th in February 5 Lazindex.com Division III Rankings

by Sports Information
2/6/04

LANCASTER, PA -- The Franklin & Marshall College men's basketball team is ranked 10th in the nation and first in the Mid-Atlantic Region in the February 5 Lazindex.com Power Rankings.

The rankings cap a week of recognition for the Diplomats as F&M is ranked #14 in the February 3 D3hoops.com national poll and first in the February 4 NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Region Poll.

One of the most successful programs in the history of NCAA Division III basketball with a record of 1115-790 record, Franklin & Marshall is off to a 17-2 start, including an 12-0 mark in Centennial Conference play.

Following a 2-0 week in which 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), preseason All-America center Steve Juskin (Sr., East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park) scored 16 points, pulled down six rebounds and blocked four shots as the Diplomats dropped Gettysburg College 68-56 in Centennial Conference men’s basketball on February 4.

Last week against John Hopkins at home in the Mayser Center, Juskin 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.

A 2004 Street & Smith's Division III Preseason All-America Honorable Mention selection, and a D3hoops.com All-Mid Atlantic third team selection last year, for his career he ranks 10th in Centennial Conference history in rebounds (667) and 13th in scoring (1,299) and holds the Conference record in blocked shots with 290.

Another factor to the Diplomats' success has been the play of forward Bob Lynch (Jr., Richboro, PA/Council Rock) who ranks nineteenth in field goal percentage (60.7) in the latest NCAA Division III statistics.

Starting for the first time in his high school or collegiate career, Lynch has been dynamic for the Diplomats averaging 16.0 points and 6.7 rebounds.

Overall, Franklin & Marshall has been dominant in 2004 ranking among the Centennial Conference 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)

On the bench, long-time head coach Glenn Robinson in his 33rd season surpassed legendary UCLA head coach John Wooden (664 wins) courtesy the team's win over Gettysburg for 25th place on the all-division men’s basketball wins list. In addition, the victory moved Robinson to within two games of eclipsing former Illinois Wesleyan head coach Dennie Bridges (666 wins) for the all-time Division III men’s basketball wins record.

Robinson and the Diplomats will continue the season on February 7 at Ursinus College. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m.

A computer generated ranking based upon record, winning percentage, strength of schedule and margin of victory in Division III games, the Lazindex is available online at www.lazindex.com.

2004 Lazindex.com National Rankings (Through February 5)
1. UW-Whitewater
2. Hanover
3. Randolph-Macon
4. Rochester
5. Wooster
6. Ohio Northern
7. Wheaton
8. Williams
9. Lawrence
10. Franklin & Marshall
11. Gustavus Adolphus
12. Wittenberg
13. UW-Stevens Point
14. Hampden-Sydney
15. Amherst
16. Otterbein
17. Buena Vista
18. Trinity (TX)
19. Capital
20. Maryville (TN)
21. Trinity (CT)
22. UW-River Falls
23. UW-Platteville
24. John Carroll
25. Virginia Wesleyan

2004 Lazindex.com Regional Rankings (Through February 5)
1. Franklin & Marshall
2. Kings
3. Elizabethtown
4. Susquehanna
5. DeSales
6. Catholic
7. Gwynedd-Mercy
8. Alvernia
9. Mary Washington
10. Juniata