RICHMOND, Va. – Elon University men’s basketball was predicted to finish third according to a vote of the league’s coaches, media relations directors and media members, as the Colonial Athletic Association released its 2017-18 Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll on Wednesday morning, Oct. 18.
Wednesday also saw junior forward Tyler Seibring named to the 2017-18 All-CAA Preseason First Team and red-shirt senior Brian Dawkins take home Second Team honors.
Led by Seibring and Dawkins, Elon has a veteran-led team that returns all five starters from an 18-14 team that posted a best-ever fourth-place finish in the CAA last year. Topping the group of returnees for the Phoenix is Seibring, who earned a spot on the All-CAA second team after scoring a team-high 14.4 ppg and ranking sixth in the league in rebounding at 6.9 rpg.
He’s joined up front by Dawkins, who contributed 12.9 ppg and 5.3 rpg while shooting 51.5% from the floor. Junior guards Dainan Swoope (11.7 ppg) and Steven Santa Ana (11.7 ppg) combined to make 132 three-pointers a year ago, while senior guard Dmitri Thompson added 8.9 ppg and 5.0 rpg.
College of Charleston, which also returns all five starters from last year’s 25-win team, has been picked to capture the CAA men’s basketball championship during the 2017-18 season.
Season tickets for the 2017-18 campaign, the final season in Alumni Gym, are on sale now through the Elon Ticket Office. Tickets can be purchased online, over the phone at 336-278-6750, or in person at the Elon Ticket Office located inside the Koury Athletic Center on Elon’s campus. For additional information, please contact the Elon Ticket Office at 336-278-6750 or email athtickets@elon.edu.
2017-18 CAA Men’s Basketball Predicted Order of Finish
1. College of Charleston (38 first-place votes) – 362
2. Towson (2 first-place votes) – 306
3. Elon – 297
4. Hofstra – 236
5. UNCW – 197
6. Northeastern – 159
7. Delaware – 156
8. William & Mary – 120
9. Drexel – 102
10. James Madison – 65
2017-18 CAA Men’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Teams
First Team Cl. Pos. Hometown/High School Jarrell Brantley, Charleston Jr. F Columbia, S.C./Notre Dame Prep Devontae Cacok, UNCW Jr. F Riverdale, Ga./Alpharetta Joe Chealey, Charleston Sr. G Orlando, Fla./Apopka Tyler Seibring, Elon Jr. F Normal, Ill./Normal Community J. Wright-Foreman, Hofstra Jr. G Queens, N.Y./HS of Construction Second Team Cl. Pos. Hometown/High School Ryan Daly, Delaware So. G Ardmore, Pa./Archbishop Carroll Brian Dawkins, Elon R-Sr. F Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny Rokas Gustys, Hofstra Sr. F/C Kaunas, Lithuania/Oak Hill Academy Kurk Lee, Drexel So. G Baltimore,Md./St. Frances Academy Mike Morsell, Towson Sr. G Fort Washington, Md./St. John's Grant Riller, Charleston So. G Ocoee, Fla./Ocoee
CAA Preseason Player of the Year: Joe Chealey, Charleston
Honorable Mention: Devon Begley, Sr., G, Northeastern; David Cohn, Sr., G, William & Mary; Nathan Knight, So., F, William & Mary; Jeremy Miller, Jr., F, Northeastern; Deshaun Morman, Sr., G, Towson; Eli Pemberton, So., G, Hofstra; Jordon Talley, Sr., G, UNCW