Men's Basketball Picked to Finish Fifth in Skyline Preseason Coaches Poll
NEW YORK — The league coaches have spoken and the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's basketball team has been predicted to finish fifth in the 2018-19 Skyline Conference Preseason Coaches poll. Collecting 62 points, the fifth-place prediction is the highest received by the team since joining the league in the 2015-16 season.
The Bears return four starters and lose just one senior from a 10-15 campaign last season that saw the squad finish just outside of playoff position in seventh place with a 9-11 league mark.
Dimitri Sirakis (Hollis, N.Y./St. Francis Prep), Stephane Etheart (Hollis, N.Y./St. Francis Prep), Sebastian Etheart (Hollis, N.Y./St. Francis Prep), and Kavan Meiner (Staten Island, N.Y./Susan E. Wagner) all return for a junior campaign after all started in all 25 games as sophomores and combined to account for 64 percent of the scoring offense with Stephane averaging nearly a double-double (14 ppg, 9.7 rpg) and Sirakis posing a deep outside threat knocking down 53 three-pointers while dropping 13.4 points a game.
Meiner has been a mainstay in the lineup having started all 50 games his past two seasons and averaged 7.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game last season. Moving into the starting role last season, Sebastien put up 8.6 points a night with 6.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
The Bears open the season against future Skyline Conference rival Manhattanville College in the opening round of the AJ Buchanan Classic on Friday, November 16. St. Joseph's returns to Brooklyn for their home and Skyline opener against Farmingdale State College on Tuesday, November 20.
Yeshiva Chosen as Favorite in Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
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2018-19 Skyline Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
Rk. Team (2017-18 Record, 2017-18 Skyline Record), Pts. (first-place votes)
1. Yeshiva (18-11, 13-7 Skyline), 95 (6)
2. Farmingdale State (18-8, 16-4), 93 (5)
3t. Purchase (18-9, 13-7) and Old Westbury (12-14, 11-9), 70
5. St. Joseph's-Brooklyn (10-15, 9-11), 62
6. Mount Saint Vincent (16-11, 13-7), 55
7. USMMA (9-15, 7-13), 49
8. Mount Saint Mary (13-13, 13-7), 44
9. Sarah Lawrence (4-21, 3-17), 33
10. Maritime (10-15, 7-13), 20
11. St. Joseph's-Long Island (5-20, 5-15), 14