| 2010-11 Men's Basketball Coaches Pre-Season
Poll: |
| School |
(1st) |
Pts. |
2009-10 All |
2009-10 NWC |
| 1. Whitworth (Wash.) |
(9) |
90 |
26-3 |
16-0 |
| 2. Linfield (Ore.) |
|
62 |
12-13 |
10-6 |
| 3. Lewis & Clark (Ore.) |
|
58 |
10-16 |
9-7 |
| 4. George Fox (Ore.) |
|
42 |
13-14 |
9-7 |
| 4. Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) |
|
42 |
9-14 |
7-9 |
| 4. Whitman (Wash.) |
|
42 |
12-13 |
6-10 |
| 7. Willamette (Ore.) |
|
35 |
9-16 |
6-10 |
| 8. Puget Sound (Wash.) |
|
34 |
9-16 |
5-11 |
| 9. Pacific (Ore.) |
|
10 |
8-17 |
4-12 |
(First-place votes in parenthesis. Points awarded on
10-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis).
Whitworth is Unanimous Pick in 2010-11
Spokane, Wash. - Northwest Conference men's basketball coaches
have picked defending champion Whitworth University as the
unanimous favorite to finish atop the 2010-11 standings.
The Pirates are aiming for their fourth NWC title in the last five
seasons.
Whitworth picked up all nine first place votes and 90
points in the poll. The Pirates return three starters from
last winter, including two-time First Team All-NWC forward David
Riley, one of only two non-seniors on last season's first team.
After Whitworth the poll becomes much more
jumbled. Five different teams picked up at least one
second place vote, and of those five - four also were voted as
low as seventh.
Linfield College totaled the second-highest point
total (62). Senior post K.C. Wiser, the other returning
First Team All-NWC selection from last winter, will lead the
Wildcats.
Lewis & Clark College is third in the poll with 58
points. The Pioneers welcome back Second Team All-NWC guards
James Hollins and Kelly Edwards.
Then there is a three-way tie for fourth place in the poll
between George Fox University, Pacific Lutheran University and
Whitman College - all with 42 points. Senior point guard
Stephen Wisely will direct the GFU attack. Senior wing Kyle
McTaggert will close out a strong career at PLU. Whitman
junior guard Brandon Shaw is the NWC's second-leading returning
scorer from 2009-10.
Willamette University (35 points) and University of Puget Sound
(34) are seventh and eighth in the poll, separated by a single
point. Junior post Taylor Mounts returns to lead the
Bearcats. Junior forward Kaleb Shelton is the leading
returnee for UPS.
Pacific University rounds out the poll with 10
points. New head coach Tim Cleary will look to turn around
the fortunes of the Boxers.
The Northwest Conference will use a conference tournament,
comprised of the top four regular season teams, to decide the
automatic (Pool A) bid to the NCAA tournament.
The season officially gets underway on November 15th with
Lewis & Clark hosting The Master's College (Calif.).