Lynch, Juskin & Diplomats Rank Among Nation's Best in March 14 NCAA Men's Basketball Statistics

by Sports Information
3/17/04

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 March 14.

The Diplomats are ranked in field goal percentage (30th, 60.0%), scoring margin (fourth, 16.8 ppg), field goal percentage (13th, 49.6%), rebound margin (16th, 6.9 rpg) and won-lost percentage (seventh, 86.7%).

Individually, center Steve Juskin (Sr., East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park) ranks fourth in the NCAA with 3.8 blocked shots per game, while forward Bob Lynch (Jr., Richboro, PA/Council Rock) is 15th in field goal percentage (60.0%).

A 2004 Street & Smith's Division III Preseason All-America Honorable Mention selection, and a D3hoops.com All-Mid Atlantic first team selection, Juskin tallied 426 points, 187 rebounds, 105 assists and a school and Centennial Conference record 114 blocked shots this year.

The ninth player in school history to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds, Juskin concludes his career among F&M's best as he ranks among the all-time leaders in points (sixth - 1,444 points), rebounds (fourth - 727) and blocked shots (first - 330) while appearing in 114 and starting 111 games.

Starting for the first time in his high school or collegiate career, Lynch was electric on the court for F&M leading the team in scoring (472 points), rebounds (220) and offensive rebounds (98), while ranking second in blocked shots (29).

He now has 780 points and 368 rebounds in his career 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.

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 captured the Centennial Conference Championship and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament where they advanced to the NCAA "Elite Eight"

Overall, the tournament berth marked the 19th in the history of men's basketball at the College as the team earned NCAA bids in 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1984, 1986-1996, 1999 and 2000, including appearances in four Final Fours (1979, 1991, 1996, 2000).

F&M, which knocked off Hampden-Sydney 78-76 in the round of 32, defeated Gwynedd Mercy (92-72 W) in the "Sweet 16", but fell to Amherst 82-70 in the "Elite Eight" to conclude the season among the top eight teams in the nation.

For F&M, which concluded the year with the 19th 20-win season under head coach Glenn Robinson (674-235), the team's 26-4 record marked the program's best mark and highest winning percentage (.867) since the 1996 team concluded the year 29-3 (.906) in the NCAA "Final Four".