Men's hoops picked sixth in conference poll

From the E-town College Website:

11/10/2008

Men's hoops picked sixth in conference poll

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, November 10, 2008

Men's Basketball Picked Sixth in Commonwealth Conference Poll

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- The Elizabethtown College men's basketball team has been picked to finish sixth in the Commonwealth Conference preseason coaches' poll, released Monday.

The Blue Jays, who finished 15-9 overall and 2-8 in the conference last season, return two starters and seven letterwinners for head coach Bob Schlosser, who enters his 19th season on the Etown bench with 279 career victories.

Junior center Mike Church (Peach Bottom, PA/Solanco) is Elizabethtown's top returning scorer after averaging 11.7 points and a team-high 5.9 rebounds, while leading the Commonwealth Conference in blocked shots with 36.

Senior point guard Phil Schaffer (Marmora, NJ/Ocean City) added 4.5 points per game and led the conference in assists with 114 in 24 games (4.75 per game).

Expected to round out the starting lineup are junior swingman Chris Fairbanks (Lititz, PA/Warwick), who returns to action after missing last season with a knee injury, junior forward Josh Houseal (Landisville, PA/Hempfield) and sophomore guard Keith Fogel (Mifflinburg, PA/Mifflinburg).

Defending conference champion Widener University earned six of the seven first-place votes and 43 points to take the top spot in the poll, followed by Lycoming College (34 points), Lebanon Valley College and Albright College (32 points each), Messiah College (21 points), Elizabethtown (19 points) and newcomer Arcadia University (15 points).

Elizabethtown opens its 2008-09 season on Saturday, Nov. 15 hosting Alvernia University at 3:00 p.m. in Thompson Gymnasium.