The IUP men’s basketball team has been picked to win the PSAC West for the sixth straight year in the preseason coaches poll. They got seven of a possible nine first place votes, with UPJ getting two. Mercyhurst is picked second, followed by UPJ.
(Read the full story from IUP Sports Information below)
In the East, Shippensburg is the preseason favorite, with East Stroudsburg second and West Chester third.
The Crimson Hawks visit Division One Big Ten power Illinois, the 11th-ranked team in the nation, tonight in their only exhibition game of the preseason. They open the regular season Friday, November 12th against West Virginia Wesleyan.
IUP’s women’s team is ranked number two in the PSAC West. Gannon is the top choice, with Cal U third. IUP had four of the nine first place votes, as did Gannon, but Gannon tops the poll because of the number of second place votes they picked up.
IUP’s preseason exhibition schedule opens tomorrow at Division One Villanova and also includes another Division One opponent when they visit Dayton on November 5th. The Hawks open the season November 13th against Virginia State.
2021-22 Men’s Basketball Preseason PollsEAST1. Shippensburg (7)2. East Stroudsburg 3. West Chester (1)4. Millersville (1)5. Kutztown6. Shepherd7. Lock Haven8. Bloomsburg9. MansfieldWEST1. IUP (7)2. Mercyhurst 3. Pitt-Johnstown (2)4. Cal U5. Gannon6. Slippery Rock7. Clarion8. Edinboro9. Seton Hill
2021-22 Women’s Basketball Preseason Polls EAST1. Shippensburg (5)2. Shepherd (4)3. Kutztown4. East Stroudsburg5. Lock Haven6. Bloomsburg7. West Chester8. Millersville9. Mansfield WEST1. Gannon (4)2. IUP (4)3. Cal U4. Mercyhurst (1)5. Seton Hill6. Edinboro7. Pitt-Johnstown8. Slippery Rock9. Clarion
FROM IUP SPORTS INFORMATION:
MEN:
Hawks again the favorites to win PSAC Western Division
Oct. 28, 2021
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The IUP men’s basketball program was picked to win the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division for the sixth straight year as the league announced its 2021-22 preseason coaches’ polls Thursday. The Crimson Hawks return to the court after most of the conference missed the 2020-21 season due to the pandemic. IUP finished the 2019-20 season with a 28-2 record, PSAC regular season and tournament championships, and as the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic Region of the NCAA tournament. Again the Hawks are the overwhelming favorites to repeat with seven of the nine possible first place votes in the division. Mercyhurst was picked to finish second while Pitt-Johnstown received the other two first place votes and was picked third. Cal U and Gannon round out the top five while Slippery Rock is sixth, Clarion is seventh, Edinboro is eighth and Seton Hill is ninth. In the Eastern Division, Shippensburg is the favorite with seven first place votes. East Stroudsburg is second with West Chester and Millersville, each receiving one first place vote, are third and fourth, respectively. Who’s coming backThe Crimson Hawks return three starters from their 2020 PSAC Championship and No. 1 Atlantic Region seeded squad, including junior guard Armoni Foster. Foster earned all-region honors two seasons ago in leading the Hawks with 19.8 points per game while shooting 49.6 percent from the floor with 51 3-pointers. He was a preseason All-America selection before last season. Also returning is sophomore forward Ethan Porterfield (10.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg), who was the 2020 PSAC West Freshman of the Year, and junior point guard Dave Morris (9.5 ppg, 4.0 apg). Valuable sixth man and 2020 PSAC Tournament MVP Shawndale Jones is also back, as is Tommy Demogerontas, who was the team’s leading scorer (16.8) and rebounder (9.0) in the four games of the 2019-20 season before losing it to injury. Who’s newIUP will have a deep squad this season as 10 new players join the experienced group of five listed above. Among those are three players who redshirted in 2019-20, including junior forward Ousmane Diop and redshirt freshmen guards Bryce Radford and KJ Rhodes. Four players who came to Indiana as freshmen in 2020 include guards Enrique Cordon and Kyle Polce, and forwards Nolan Burk and Tomiwa Sulaiman. IUP’s class of 2021 includes guard Dallis Dillard and forwards Damir Brooks and Callum MacNamara. The 2021-22 seasonThe Crimson Hawks will play No. 11 Illinois in their only exhibition action of the preseason Friday night. They open the regular season Friday, November 12 against West Virginia Wesleyan. FollowFor up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP Men’s Basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_MBB.
WOMEN:
Crimson Hawks picked second in PSAC West poll
Oct. 28, 2021
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The IUP women’s basketball program was picked to finish second in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division as the league announced its 2021-22 preseason coaches’ polls Thursday. The Crimson Hawks make their return to the court after the conference canceled the 2020-21 season due to the pandemic. IUP finished the 2019-20 season with a 28-3 record, a PSAC West regular season championship, a No. 8 national ranking in the coaches’ poll, and as the No. 1 seed and host in the Atlantic Region for the NCAA tournament. The Hawks grabbed four of the nine possible first place votes, finishing behind division-favorite Gannon, which also received four first place votes. Cal U sits third in the poll with Mercyhurst fourth and picking up the final first place vote. Seton Hill rounds out the top five with Edinboro, Pitt-ohnstown, Slippery Rock and Clarion following. In the Eastern Division, Shippensburg is the favorite with five first place votes. Shepherd is second is picked up the other four. Who’s coming backThe Hawks return three starters from the nation’s No. 8-ranked team two seasons ago, including All-PSAC West selection Justina Mascaro. Mascaro led the team with 14.2 points per game, hitting on 52.8 percent of her field goal attempts, 43.3 percent from 3-point range, and 76.8 percent from the foul line. Other returning starter include guard Courtney Alexander, who averaged 8.8 points and shot 40.1 percent from 3-point range, and forward Maura D’Anna, who averaged 6.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Maria Cerro, who started 18 games at point guard, also returns, as do key reserves in Rajah Fink, Teirra Preston, Mikayla Lovelace, Alana Cardona and Josie Smith. Who’s newFive new Hawks join the roster, including four freshmen and a graduate transfer. Guard Eliza Oswalt comes to Indiana after averaging 9.1 points in 53 games at Mercyhurst from 2017-21. Two players who joined the team as part of the program’s 2020 signing class are guard Kiera Baughman and forward Gina Adams, while guard Anna Kadlubek and forward Molly Howard came to IUP as freshmen this year. The 2021-22 seasonIUP’s preseason exhibition schedule includes games at Villanova on October 30 and at Dayton on November 5. The Hawks open the season November 13 against Virginia State. FollowFor up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women’s basketball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_WBB.
