Juskin, Lynch & Diplomats Rank Among Nation's Best in February 29 NCAA Men's Basketball Statistics

by Sports Information
3/5/04

LANCASTER, PA - Franklin & Marshall College is ranked among the nation's best Division III teams in the NCAA men's basketball statistics for games through February 29.

The Diplomats are ranked in scoring offense (81.3 ppg, 30th), scoring defense (62.9 ppg, 21st), scoring margin (18.4 ppg, fourth), field goal percentage (50.1%, eighth), rebound margin (6.6 rpg, 19th) and won-lost percentage (88.9%, seventh).

Individually, center Steve Juskin (Sr., East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park) ranks fifth in the NCAA with 3.8 blocked shots per game, while forward Bob Lynch (Jr., Richboro, PA/Council Rock) is 19th in field goal percentage (59.6).

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, Juskin tallied 395 points, 170 rebounds, 95 assists and 102 blocked shots during the regular season to raise his career numbers to raise his career numbers to 1,413 points, 710 rebounds, 240 assists and a school and CC record 318 blocked shots.

The ninth player in school history to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds, he ranks sixth in points, fourth in rebounds and first in blocked shots in F&M history.

Starting for the first time in his high school or collegiate career, Lynch has been electric on the court for F&M leading the team in scoring (426 points), rebounds (186) and offensive rebounds (89), while ranking second in blocked shots (22).

The January 5 and 26 Centennial Conference Player of the Week, he now has 734 points and 334 rebounds as he is on pace to join the 1,000 point club and become the tenth player in school history to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.

Ranked #9 in the latest D3hoops.com men's basketball poll, the Diplomats will continue the season at 7:00 p.m. on March 6 at home in the Mayser Center in an NCAA second round game versus #6 Hampden-Sydney.

The game will mark the first meeting between the two programs as in the 101-year history of basketball at F&M the Hampden-Sydney Tigers and Diplomats have never met on the basketball court.

The Tigers enter the tournament for the 12th time overall and eighth year in a row after securing the automatic bid by winning the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in a 75-69 victory over Virginia Wesleyan on February 23.