College Men’s Basketball News – Guilford Picked First in ODAC Men’s Basketball Poll

SALEM, Va. – Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) men’s basketball coaches tabbed defending league champion Guilford College first in the 2017-18 ODAC Preseason Poll. The poll was released Thursday as part of the league’s annual media day at the Salem Civic Center.

Guilford receives the honor following a 2016-17 season that saw the Quakers take home both the regular-season and ODAC Tournament crowns. Guilford received eight first-place votes and 117 overall points. Second-place Randolph-Macon College received two first-place votes (104 points). The final two first-place votes were split among third-place Virginia Wesleyan University (95 points) and fourth-place Emory & Henry College (93 points).

Guilford finished last season at 24-6, which includes its 63-53 victory over Emory & Henry in the ODAC Championship that secured their spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Quakers opened the tournament with a commanding 74-54 victory over Thomas More College in the first round, but their year ended in Marietta, Ohio, as the Quakers fell in the second round at Marietta College, 88-64.

Head coach Tom Palombo, last season’s ODAC Coach of the Year, welcomes back junior Carson Long along with other key students from last season’s championship squad. The 2017 First-Team All-ODAC forward led the Quakers with 14.2 points per game, 159 field goals made and 66 three-pointers. Another key returner is junior big man Alston Thompson, who received Third Team All-ODAC honors last season and was the ODAC Rookie of the Year in 2016.

The Quakers open the season at Greensboro College Wednesday, November 15 at 7 p.m. Guilford opens its home schedule two days later in the Guilford College Classic versus Concordia (Texas) University. It opens conference play against Washington and Lee University November 29.

2017-18 ODAC MEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL
(#) Denotes First Place Votes

1. Guilford College (8) – 117 pts.
2. Randolph-Macon College (2) – 104 pts.
3. Virginia Wesleyan University (1) – 95 pts.
4. Emory & Henry College (1) – 93 pts.
5. Roanoke College – 84 pts.
6. Lynchburg College – 70 pts.
7. Washington and Lee University – 54 pts.
8. Hampden-Sydney College – 51 pts.
9. Eastern Mennonite University – 46 pts.
10. Randolph College – 36 pts.
11. Bridgewater College – 24 pts.
12. Shenandoah University – 18 pts.