GLIAC Basketball: UF men No. 1 in South; Parker named top player - Thursday, October 29, 2009 | Courier Electronic Edition

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Thursday, October 29, 2009

GLIAC Basketball: UF men No. 1 in South; Parker named top player

By BRIAN LESTER

Staff Writer

In March, the University of Findlay men's basketball team completed a 36-0 season with the program's first NCAA Division II national championship.

The Oilers went wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the country and became only the fourth unbeaten champion in history.

But the focus of the Oilers at the moment is winning a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference South Division crown.

The Oilers are favored to win the title, receiving 20 of the 22 first-place votes in preason balloting released Wednesday. Hillsdale is picked as runner-up and received the other two first-place votes.

Grand Valley State is favored to win the North Division, receiving 17 of the 19 first-place votes. Ferris State is picked second and received two first-place votes.

In a league where only five seniors are among the preseason all-conference selections, veteran head coach Ron Niekamp believes the title chase is wide open.

"This might be one of the toughest years to take a look at our league and pick who is going to finish where," Niekamp said. "There are a lot talented young players and some new coaches."

UF, which lost five seniors to graduation, including national player of the year Josh Bostic, has won eight South Division titles and is the defending conference tourney champion.

"Winning the South is always our first goal and we do have a team that can compete for a title," Niekamp said. "We have to be ready to play every night and understand the importance of each conference game."

The Oilers will be led by GLIAC preseason player of the year Marcus Parker. The senior point guard (10.7 points, 4.1 assists) is a four-year starter.

UF returns shooting guard Nathan Hyde as well. Hyde (10.4 ppg), a former Liberty-Benton standout, drained a team-best 77 3-pointers.

"This team will have to find its own identity," Niekamp said. "The main thing right now is to get better in practice every day, especially with a younger team."

UF will be in action 7 p.m. Tuesday when it plays Duke in an exhibition encounter at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The Oilers play Utah on Nov. 7 in a 2 p.m. exhibition game and open the regular season 7:30 p.m. Nov. 17 against Concordia, Mich. at Croy Center.

Also in GLIAC voting Wednesday, the UF women's team was picked third in the South.

Fourth-year coach Kate Cummings nearly led UF to a GLIAC tournament spot a year ago. But coming close to the postseason has raised expectations this year. UF is picked to finish third in the South Division of the conference with a veteran-laden team.

Northwood is the South Division favorite and Hillsdale is picked second. The Oilers did receive one first-place vote.

"I think it's what we deserve," Cummings said. "We haven't earned the right to be any higher, but we feel like we have a team that can compete at a high level in this conference."

UF is coming off a year in which it finished 14-13 overall and 9-13 in the GLIAC, losing out on a conference tourney bid because of a tiebreaker.

"The girls were disappointed in being so close and not making it," Cummings said. "They got a taste of what it was like to have a shot at the tournament. It has definitely motivated them for this year."

The Oilers have five seniors, including point guard Audra Mihalic. A first-team all-GLIAC selection as a junior, Mihalic averaged 15.9 points per game and dished out 134 assists.

Guard Maggie Gompers (10.3 ppg, 68 treys) will also be counted on for her veteran leadership. The other seniors are guard Candace Black (1.8 ppg), forward Megan Sellers (3.6 ppg, 224 rebounds) and center Jessica Vorst (12 ppg, 192 rebounds).

Sophomore guard Laura Bardall averaged 14.4 points per outing and pulled down 5.1 rebounds per game and earned second-team honors.

Bardall and Mihalic are preseason all-conference selections.

Michigan Tech, the NCAA Division II Bulletin preseason No. 1 team, is the favorite to win the North. The Huskies received 22 first-place votes. Michigan Tech's Katie Wysocky was tabbed as the GLIAC Preseason Player of the Year.

Grand Valley State picked up the other two first-place votes and is picked to finish second.

The Oilers will play exhibition games at Bowling Green (7 p.m. Nov. 4) and Eastern Kentucky (2 p.m. Nov. 8) and open the regular season 7 p.m. Nov. 15 against West Liberty (W.Va.).

GLIAC Men's Preseason Poll

North Division

1. Grand Valley State (17 first-place votes) 130

2. Ferris State (2) 107

3. Lake Superior State (4) 94

4. Michigan Tech (1) 84

5. Saginaw Valley State 51

6. Northern Michigan 36

South Division

1. Findlay (22) 140

2. Hillsdale (2) 109

3. Northwood 85

4. Wayne State 81

5. Ashland 63

6. Tiffin 26

Preseason All-GLIAC Team

North Division -- Darien Gay (jr., g), Ferris State; Justin Keenan (soph., f), Ferris State; Scott Perkins (sr., g), Lake Superior State; Justin Ringler (jr., g-f), Grand Valley State; Avery Stephenson (sr., g), Saginaw Valley State.

SOUTH DIVISION -- Chris Johnson (sr., g), Northwood; Luke Laser (sr., f), Hillsdale; Jerry Oden (jr., f), Wayne State; Marcus Parker (sr., g), Findlay; Kale Richardson (jr., f), Ashland.

Player of Year -- Marcus Parker, Sr., G, Findlay

GLIAC Women's Preseason Poll

North Division

1. Michigan Tech (22) 142

2. Grand Valley State (2) 122

3. Ferris State 74

4. Lake Superior State 72

5. Northern Michigan 67

6. Saginaw Valley State 27

South Division

1. Northwood (16) 128

2. Hillsdale (7) 125

3. Findlay (1) 90

4. Ashland 83

5. Wayne State 44

6. Tiffin 34

Preseason All-GLIAC Team

NORTH DIVISION -- Jasmine Padin (soph., g), Grand Valley State; Emma Veach (soph., g), Grand Valley State; Emily Joseph (jr., g), Lake Superior State; Sarah Stream (sr., g), Michigan Tech; Katie Wysocky (sr., f), Michigan Tech.

SOUTH DIVISION -- Laura Bardall (soph., g), Findlay; Audra Mihalic (sr., g), Findlay; Brooke Knight (sr., g), Hillsdale; Janay Miller (sr., g), Hillsdale; Jodi Ostergren (sr., f), Northwood.

PLAYER OF YEAR -- Katie Wysocky (sr., f), Michigan Tech.

NABC/NCAA D-II Preseason Poll

1. BYU-Hawaii (6 first place votes) 27-2

2. Bellarmine (1 first place vote) 26-7

3. Southwest Baptist 26-5

4. Findlay 36-0

5. Central Missouri 30-5

6. Cal Poly Pomona 25-8

7. Valdosta State 24-7

8. Florida Southern 29-7

9. Bentley 26-7

10. Augusta State 30-5

11. St. Cloud State 22-9

12. Metropolitan State 27-4

13. Grand Valley State 21-10

14. Tusculum 20-11

15. Merrimack 21-9

16. Kutztown 28-5

17. Central Oklahoma 24-6

18. Indiana (Pa.) 22-8

19. Johnson C. Smith 23-8

20. Winona State 24-9

21. Humboldt State 20-12

22. Southwest Minnesota State 28-7

23. Delta State 21-9

24. Rollins 20-10

25. Philadelphia 25-6

Lester: 419-422-5151,

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Thursday, October 29, 2009