Sports News: Fall 2006
Tuesday, November 14, 2006

MORAVIAN MEN’S BASKETBALL SQUAD PICKED EIGHTH IN COMMONWEALTH CONFERENCE PRESEASON COACHES POLL

ANNVILLE, PA --- The Moravian College men’s basketball team has been selected to finish eighth in the Commonwealth Conference in the 2006-07 Commonwealth Conference Preseason Poll conducted by the conference coaches. Widener University was picked to win the conference.

Head coach Jim Walker, who enters his 27th season at the school, has 11 letterwinners and three starters back from last year's 9-16 squad.

Walker is looking at junior guard Ryan Miller (Easton, PA/Easton HS) to impact the Greyhounds. Miller led the team with three-pointers with 42. He averaged 9.8 points and 1.8 rebounds per game and contributed 23 steals, and 47 assists. Junior forward Mark Franzyshen (Somerset, NJ/Immaculata HS) is also expected to be a part of Moravian’s winning equation. Last season he averaged 7.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while adding 13 assists, 17 steals, ten blocked shots and two three-pointers.

Seniors guard Mike Clemente (Toms River, NJ/Central Regional HS), and forward Matt Devlin (Sadsburysville, PA/Coatesville HS) will both contest for starting positions, and as the only two seniors returning from last year’s season, Walker expects both to make contributions. Last season, Clemente put up 5.8 points per game. He also had 54 rebounds, 50 assists, 24 steals, two blocks, and 33 three-pointers. Devlin added 5.4 points and led the team with 4.4 rebounds per game. He had 17 assists, 15 steals, five three-pointers and 23 blocked shots.

Junior forward Chris Earley (Brielle, NJ/Manasquan HS) also comes into the 2006-2007 season with a lot of potential. Last year he contributed 6.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game while adding 18 assists, 12 steals, 12 blocks, and six three-pointers.

Junior returning starter Steve Wenderfer (Chester, NJ/Mendham HS), who had led the 2004-2005 team in rebounds with an average of 7.5 per fame and was second on the team in scoring with 13.1 points per game, missed all but the first half of the first game in 2005-06 due to an injury.

The Greyhounds will begin their season facing Emerson (MA) College at the New York University Tip-Off tournament

 

2006-07 Commonwealth Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll

Rank School (first-place votes) Points
1. Widener University (7) 56
2. Lebanon Valley College (1) 44
3. Albright College 41
4. Messiah College

39

5. Elizabethtown College 32
6. Susquehanna University 31
7. Juniata College 23
8. Moravian College 22