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LANCASTER, PA - Franklin & Marshall, the 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2004 Centennial Conference champions, are favored to finish second in the chase for the conference crown according to the head men's basketball coaches and the sports information directors in the 2006 Centennial Conference preseason men’s basketball poll. The Diplomats received three first-place votes (teams not permitted to vote for themselves) for 143 points. Ursinus College, the 2005 Centennial Conference champion, is selected to repeat as the Bears received 160 votes, including 16 first place votes. Johns Hopkins was selected third with 127 points and one first place vote, while Gettysburg (101), Muhlenberg (99), Haverford (85), Dickinson (68), Washington (57), McDaniel (39) and Swarthmore (21) rounded out the poll. Selected as a possible breakthrough team in the 2005-06 edition of Street & Smith's College Basketball Preview and one of the most successful intercollegiate basketball programs in Division III history with a 1,147-791 record in 102 seasons, the Diplomats concluded the 2004-05 season 23-7, 14-4 in the Centennial Conference, to finish with the program’s 20th 20-win season and the fourth consecutive championship as the team captured the 2002, 2003 and 2005 Eastern College Athletic Conference titles and a Centennial Conference Championship in 2004. Leading the way this year will be Street & Smith's College Preview Preseason All-America Honorable Mention selection guard/forward Brandon Smith (Sr., Reading, PA/Governor Mifflin). A 2005 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Southern Men’s Basketball first team, National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Men's Basketball All-Middle Atlantic Region second team and All-Centennial Conference first team selection, Smith recorded 527 points, 216 rebounds, 73 assists, 20 blocks and 67 steals last season as he led the Diplomats to the Centennial Conference regular season championship and the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) South Region title. In the Centennial Conference, he finished second in steals (2.23 spg), fourth in scoring (17.6 ppg) and rebounding (7.2 rpg), sixth in defensive rebounds (5.13 rpg), ninth in three point field goals made (1.77 pg), 10th in field goal percentage (.518), offensive rebounds (2.07 rpg) and three point field goal percentage (.387), 11th in minutes played (29.87 pg), 13th in assists (2.43 apg) and 14th in blocked shots (0.67 bpg) with seven double-doubles to raise his career numbers to 1,099 points, 485 rebounds, 185 assists, 48 blocks and 154 steals in 90 games. The 2005 ECAC Tournament Most Valuable Player, he averaged 22.0 points and 9.0 rebounds with 10 assists, six steals and 11 blocks while shooting .605 (23-of-38) from the field and .429 (six-of-14) from beyond the arc to defeat Lincoln University (116-100 W), the University of Scranton (79-68 W) and Catholic University (66-56 W) as Franklin & Marshall earned its third ECAC title in as many chances. Against Lincoln, he recorded 26 points, eight rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes before tallying 18 points, eight rebounds and five steals in the title game versus Catholic. During his three year career at the College, Smith has led Franklin & Marshall to a 74-16 record, including a 41-8 mark in the Centennial Conference, as the Diplomats have claimed three Centennial Conference regular season championships, two ECAC titles (2003 & 2005), a Centennial Conference title (2004) and an NCAA bid (2004). Two other players to watch are point guard Logan Outerbridge (Jr., Glen Rock, NJ/Glen Rock) and forward Bryan Teschke (Jr., Pittsburgh, PA/Fox Chapel). Outerbridge started 24 of 30 games last season making 96-of-200 field goal attempts, including 41-of-110 from beyond the arc, and 55-of-64 at the charity stripe for 288 points with 90 assists, 42 steals and 49 rebounds. For his career, he has 397 points and 87 rebounds with 131 assists and 77 steals in 57 games. Teschke made 114-of-217 from the field and 65-of-89 at the line for 297 points last year with 129 rebounds, 22 assists, 32 blocks and 17 steals in 30 games. In 56 career games, he has 354 points, 179 rebounds, 34 assists, 37 blocks and 22 steals. On the sidelines, Franklin & Marshall will be coached for the 35th year by Glenn Robinson who holds a 697-242 record at the College and is on the doorstep of becoming the 25th coach to win 700 games. The all-time leader in Division III men’s basketball wins, he can become the 25th member of the 700 wins club and only the 10th active member joining Bobby Knight (Texas Tech), Don Meyer (Northern State), Herb Mage (Philadelphia), Eddie Sutton (Oklahoma State), Lute Olson (Arizona), John Chaney (Temple), Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), Jim Boeheim (Syracuse) and Jim Calhoun (Connecticut). Historically, Robinson guided the Diplomats to the Division III Final Four in 1979, 1991, 1996 and 2000 and was named the Basketball Times Division III "Coach of the Year" in 1991. He has earned conference and NABC "Coach of the Year" honors 12 times, including the 2004 award for guiding the Diplomats to a 26-4 record, the Centennial Conference title and an NCAA Elite Eight berth. Franklin & Marshall will open the 2005-06 season on November 18-19 in the annual S. Woodrow Sponaugle Tip-Off Tournament with SUNY-Cortland, Trinity College (CT) and Gwynedd-Mercy College at F&M’s Mayser Center. The Diplomats will begin play on November 18 versus Gwynedd-Mercy at 8:00 p.m. 2006 Centennial Conference Preseason Men's Basketball Poll
1. Ursinus 160 (16)
2. Franklin & Marshall 143 (3)
3. Johns Hopkins 127 (1)
4. Gettysburg 101
5. Muhlenberg 99
6. Haverford 85
7. Dickinson 68
8. Washington 57
9. McDaniel 39
10. Swarthmore 21 Head coaches and sports information directors polled
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