Diplomats Picked as Possible Breakthrough Team in 2005-06 Street & Smith Men's Basketball Preview

by Sports Information
10/17/05

LANCASTER, PA -- Street & Smith Sports Group has announced the selection of Franklin & Marshall College as a possible breakthrough team in the 2005-06 edition of Street & Smith's College Basketball, an annual dedicated to highlighting the upcoming college basketball season.

Last season, the Diplomats finished 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 ECAC titles and a Centennial Conference Championship in 2004.

One of the most successful intercollegiate basketball programs in Division III history with a 1,147-791 record in 102 seasons, Franklin & Marshall defeated Catholic University 66-56 in the ECAC title game at home in the Mayser Center to claim the fourth consecutive postseason crown in program history.

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, 41-8 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).

On the sidelines, Franklin & Marshall will be coached for the 35th year by Glenn Robinson who holds a 697-242 record at the College.

The all-time leader in Division III men’s basketball wins with 697 entering the 2005-06 season, Robinson is 12th among all active NCAA coaches in victories and has already surpassed legendary UCLA coach John Wooden (664-112) for 25th on the all-time NCAA wins list.

Currently, he holds the eighth best winning percentage in NCAA history as his mark has been bettered by only Kentucky's Adolph Rupp (.822), UCLA's John Wooden (.804), UNLV/Fresno State's Jerry Tarkanian (.784), North Carolina's Dean Smith (.776), Duke's Mike Krzyewski (.745), Northern State's Don Meyer (.743) and Syracuse's Jim Boeheim (.743).

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.

Street & Smith 's College Basketball is a publication of Street & Smith's Sports Group, a division of American City Business Journals, Inc., Charlotte, North Carolina. It is available on newsstands and in bookstores around the globe.