Diplomats Move to 18th in February 10 D3hoops.com Men's Basketball Poll

by Sports Information
2/10/04

LANCASTER, PA - The Franklin & Marshall College men's basketball team received 214 votes to rank 18th in the February 10 D3hoops.com Division III Men's Basketball poll.

The recognition continues a string of national accolades for the Diplomats as F&M was ranked 29th on December 23, 27th on January 6, 25th on December 2, 22nd on January 13, 19th on December 9, 18th on November 25th and December 16th, 17th on January 20, 15th on January 27 and 14th last week.

Overall, Franklin & Marshall is the only Centennial Conference team to receive votes in the poll and is the highest ranked team from the Mid-Atlantic Region placing three spots better than #21 DeSales University.

Selected as a "Team to Watch" in the 2003-04 edition of Street & Smith's College Basketball, an annual dedicated to highlighting the upcoming college basketball season, the Diplomats are 17-3 overall and 12-1 in Centennial Conference play.

Leading the team last week was forward Bobby Lynch (Jr., Richboro, PA/Council Rock) who averaged 16.5 points and 9.0 rebounds as the Diplomats defeated Gettysburg (68-56 W), but fell at Ursinus (104-92 L) for the team's first Centennial Conference loss of the season.

Against Ursinus, he tallied 23 points, 10 rebounds and two assists to raise his season numbers to a team best 327 points (16.4 ppg) and 138 rebounds (6.9 rpg).

In the latest Centennial Conference statistics, he ranks among the CC leaders in scoring (16.4 ppg, fifth), rebounding (6.9 rpg, fifth), field goal percentage (.605, third), free throw percentage (.776, 14th), blocked shots (.095 bpg, sixth), offensive rebounds (3.25 rpg, second), defensive rebounds (3.65 rpg, 14th) and double-doubles (five, second)

Individually the Diplomats starting "five" appear a top the conference as point guard Duran Searles (Sr., Camden, NJ/Peddie School) is ranked in scoring (12.0 ppg, 16th), field goal percentage (.497, 12th), assists (3.45 apg, fifth), steals (1.75 spg, fourth), three-point field goal percentage (.402, eighth), three-point field goals made (1.95 pg, eighth) and assist/turnover ratio (1.57, fourth).

On the wing, guard Jackiem Wright (Sr., Sicklerville, NJ/Moorestown Friends) ranks in scoring (12.0 ppg, 16th), steals (1.45 spg, 10th), three-point field goal percentage (.358, 15th), three-point field goals made (2.45 pg, fourth)

Down low, forward/guard Brandon Smith (So., Reading, PA/Governor Mifflin) ranks in scoring (12.0 ppg, 16th), rebounding (5.9 rpg, 12th), steals (1.95 spg, second), three-point field goal percentage (.363, 14th), three-point field goals made (1.45 pg, 14th), blocked shots (0.70 bpg, 12th), offensive rebounds (1.95 rpg, ninth) and defensive rebounds (4.00 rpg, 12th), while center Steve Juskin (Sr., East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park) ranks in scoring (14.8 ppg, 10th), rebounding (6.6 rpg, seventh), field goal percentage (.526, eighth), assists (3.80 apg, fourth), blocked shots (3.80 bpg, first), assist/turnover ratio (1.29, seventh), offensive rebounds (2.05 rpg, eighth) and defensive rebounds (4.50, eighth).

Off the bench, reserve point guard Logan Outerbridge (Fr., Glen Rock, NJ/Glen Rock) has been dynamite for the Diplomats leading the Conference in three-point field goal percentage (.465, first) as he has hit 20-of-43 attempts in 246 minutes.

Franklin & Marshall ranks among the CC team leaders in scoring offense (82.0 ppg, first), scoring margin (+16.8 ppg, first), field goal percentage (.500, first), field goal percentage defense (.412, first), blocked shots (6.20 bpg, first), assists (17.30 apg, first), assist/turnover margin (1.20, first), offensive rebounds (12.95 rpg, first), home attendance (10545, first), home average attendance (959 pg, first), total attendance (14691, first), average attendance (735 pg, first), scoring defense (65.2 ppg, second), road average attendance (461 pg, second), three-point field goal percentage (.317, second), rebounding margin (+6.5 rpg, second), steals (8.85 spg, second), turnover margin (+4.30, second), rebounding offense (37.6 rpg, third), rebounding defense (31.1 rpg, third), three-point field goals made (7.25 pg, third), road attendance (4146, fourth) and defensive rebounds (24.65 rpg, fourth).

On the sidelines, history should be made this week as head coach Glenn Robinson is now within two victories of surpassing longtime Illinois Wesleyan head coach Dennie Bridges for the all-time Division III men's basketball record for most career victories.

Robinson, who now holds a career record of 665-234, is the active leader in wins in NCAA Division III men's basketball.

However, with a pair of victories he will surpass Bridges' career total of 666 wins from 1960 to 2001 at Illinois Wesleyan and become the all-time win leader on the Division III level.

Historically, he is one of only 41 coaches in collegiate basketball history to have won 600 games entering the 2004 season, led by Dean Smith with 897. Last week, Robinson surpassed legendary UCLA coach John Wooden (664-162) for 25th on the all-time NCAA wins list.

The Diplomats will return to action on February 11 at home versus Dickinson College. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.

D3Hoops.com is widely considered the preeminent source of information on Division III basketball in the electronic medium. D3hoops has appeared in Sports Illustrated, ESPN Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, the Hartford Courant and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, among other publications.

D3hoops.com 2003-04 Division III Top 25 (February 10)
Rank Team (1st Place Votes) 2003-04 Record Pts.
1. Williams (22) 21-1 620
2. Randolph-Macon (1) 20-1 593
3. Hanover (2) 20-1 570
4. Rochester 19-1 528
5. Wooster 18-2 517
6. Trinity (CT) 19-1 501
7. UW-Whitewater 19-2 488
8. Amherst 19-2 470
9. Hampden-Sydney 18-3 381
10. Wittenberg 18-3 369
11. Lawrence 17-2 353
12. UW-Stevens Point 17-4 312
13. John Carroll 16-4 308
14. Buena Vista 17-3 281
15. Wheaton (IL) 17-3 276
16. Hope 17-4 238
17. Puget Sound 17-2 234
18. Franklin & Marshall 17-3 214
19. Penn State-Behrend 19-1 146
20. Trinity (TX) 17-4 136
21. DeSales 17-3 117
22. Gustavus Adolphus 16-5 93
23. Gwynedd Mercy 18-2 91
24. Maryville (TN) 17-5 70
25. UW-River Falls 15-5 47

Others receiving votes: Salem State 35, Whitworth 31, Washington U. 17, Ohio Northern 13, Wartburg 11, Wheaton 11, Lasell 10, Augustana 9, Ohio Wesleyan 8, Catholic 5, Occidental 5, Keene State 4, New Jersey City 3, King's 3, Baldwin-Wallace 2, Mary Washington 2, Illinois Wesleyan 1, Macalester 1, Plymouth State 1.