Franklin & Marshall Ranked 17th in 2005 DIII News Men's Basketball Preseason Poll

by Sports Information
10/27/04

LANCASTER, PA – The Franklin & Marshall College men’s basketball team is ranked #17 in the 2005 DIII News Preseason Top 25.

The Diplomats return three starters following a 2004 season in which the team finished 26-4, 17-1 in Centennial Conference play, to capture the Centennial Conference Championship, earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament and advance to the “Elite Eight”.

At guard, Jackiem Wright (Sr., Sicklerville, NJ/Moorestown Friends) returns for a fifth season after finishing fourth on the team in scoring with 12.9 points per game as he connected on 129-of-301 field goals, including 76-of-216 three-point attempts, for 386 points.

A transfer from Division I LaSalle University prior to the 2002 season, he enters the 2005 season with 1,019 points over his four seasons. At F&M, he has registered 1,004 points, 169 rebounds, 110 steals, 116 assists and 17 blocked shots.

A forward, Brandon Smith (Jr., Reading, PA/Governor Mifflin) enters 2005 after scoring 332 points (11.1 ppg), pulling down 177 rebounds (5.9 rpg) and recording 58 steals, 58 assists and 19 blocked shots as a sophomore.

A member March 1 D3hoops.com Team of the Week and the Centennial Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week, he made six-of-12 field goal attempts, including four-of-six from beyond the arc, for 16 points with five steals as Franklin & Marshall shot 23-of-51 from the field (45.1%) and seven-of-17 from three-point range (41.2%) to down Johns Hopkins University 69-58 to capture the 2004 Centennial Conference Men's Basketball Championship on February 29.

Against Gettysburg College in the semifinals on February 28, Smith starred as he pulled down a game high eight rebounds while tallying six points and two steals to key the Diplomats to a 75-49 rout of the Bullets.

For his career, he has 572 points, 269 rebounds, 87 steals, 112 assists and 28 blocks as the Diplomats have compiled a 51-9 record over the last two seasons.

A 2005 DIII News and Street & Smith Preseason All-America honorable mention forward, Bob Lynch (Sr., Richboro, PA/Council Rock) earned All-Centennial Conference second team honors last year as 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 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.