Lynch Named to 2005 DIII News Men's Basketball Preseason All-America Team

by Sports Information
10/27/04

LANCASTER, PA – All-Centennial Conference forward Bob Lynch (Sr., Richboro, PA/Council Rock) has been named to the 2005 DIII News Preseason All-America team as an honorable mention selection.

The honor marks Lynch’s second preseason All-America nod as he was named an honorable mention selection in the 2004-05 edition of Street & Smith's College Basketball, an annual dedicated to highlighting the upcoming college basketball season.

A 2004 All-Centennial Conference second team selection, he led the team in scoring (472 points), points per game (15.7 ppg), rebounds (220), rebounds per game (7.3 rpg), offensive rebounds (98) and defensive rebounds (122), while ranking second in blocked shots (23).

The January 5 and 26 Centennial Conference Player of the Week, he now has 780 points, 368 rebounds, 32 blocked shots and 79 assists in 69 games 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.

One of the Conference's best shooters, he placed 15th in field goal percentage (60.0%) in the final NCAA Division III statistics as he led the Diplomats to a #6 ranking in the final D3hoops.com poll, the Centennial Conference Championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

In the NCAA tournament, Franklin & Marshall College advanced to the "Elite Eight" as the berth marked the 19th in the history of men's basketball at the College. Previously, Franklin & Marshall College earned NCAA tournament 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 (17-1 in Centennial Conference play) 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".

The Diplomats will open the 2004-05 season on November 20 at home versus DeSales University.

A monthly publication of GSR Communications of Beaverton, Oregon, DIII News covers Division III men's basketball and celebrated its 11th year of publishing this past season.