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| Ali Ricchiuti returns to lead the Bombers in Ben Light Gymnasium. Photo by Tim McKinney |
I can't remember exactly when I fell in love with basketball, but I was young. Young enough to be a dreamer. And oh, did I dream.
Game-winning shots, both receiving and dishing alley-oops, winning NBA titles. Check, check, and check. We had a Champion clothing outlet store about five minutes away from my house when I was younger, and my brother and I would ravage the NBA jersey bins. Yes, somewhere in our house is a Vancouver Grizzlies Shareef Abdur-Rahim jersey. No, I won't apologize for it.
But I digress. You didn't come here to read the random ramblings of a basketball junkie. You came here (I hope!) for some coverage of Division III men's and women's basketball in the East region.
When I write that I love basketball, I mean all basketball. Men's or women's, professional or collegiate, youth or rec league. There's something simple and pure, but yet also fun and unique about the game that's always drawn me in. All you need is a hoop and a ball. If you wanted to, you could stop reading this column, pick up a ball and, 30 seconds later, be playing basketball. I love it.
I spent four of the best years of my life at Ithaca College, and I spent many of the days and nights of those years inside the Ben Light Gymnasium. That's where the men's and women's basketball teams played, and it's where I covered many of the games and practices for the student newspaper, The Ithacan. The popular saying around Ithaca, New York is that "Ithaca Is Gorges." The phrase, a simple play on words, highlights both Ithaca's natural beauty and the sheer number of gorges in the surrounding area.
Of course, whoever coined that phrase surely never experienced Ithaca during the winter. Ithaca is more of a barren, frozen wasteland than gorges. But I was able to keep warm in the Ben Light gym watching basketball. It sounds silly, and most people who see it as "just basketball" probably wouldn't understand, but I'll always relish those memories.
Many of you reading this have experienced the same. Basketball has touched you in a personal way. Maybe you played at the Division III level. Perhaps you had a child play. Whatever the reason, thank you for stopping by and letting me ramble on about my story. Seeing as how this is the first of what will become a weekly column as the season progresses, I wanted to start with a quick run-through of each conference. Starting next week, this introductory space will be filled with other personal stories of players, coaches and others in the Division III world.
Empire 8
St. John Fisher, ranked No. 22 in the D3hoops.com men's preseason poll, are the favorites in the Empire 8 after putting together one of the finest seasons in program history last year. The Cardinals finished 25-5, won the Empire 8 title and advanced to the Sweet 16 for just the fourth time in school history. Junior forward Keegan Ryan, a D3hoops.com second-team preseason All-American, and senior guard Chaz Lott both return for what should remain a formidable St. John Fisher team.
The Ithaca women's team is once again in position to win the conference title, but it will be pushed by St. John Fisher. The Cardinals topped the Bombers in an overtime classic in last season's title game, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Ithaca also advanced to the second round after earning an at-large bid. Fisher returns its leading scorer in senior guard Mary Kate Cusack, while Ithaca also brings back its top scorer in junior guard Ali Ricchiuti.
Liberty League
Skidmore was a unanimous choice atop the Liberty League's preseason coaches' poll after a 20-win season and NCAA tournament win in 2014-15. The Thoroughbreds bring back 10 players, including last season's co-conference Player of the Year, senior guard Aldin Medunjanin.
Things appear to be more wide open on the women's side. St. Lawrence ranked No. 1 in the preseason coaches poll, but three other teams (Clarkson, Union and defending league champion Skidmore) also drew first-place votes. The Saints were the conference's top regular-season team last year before falling to Skidmore in the title game. St. Lawrence returns sophomore forward Caroline Dalton, sophomore guard Jenny Scudder and senior guard Lauren Quattrocchi in its starting lineup.
SUNYAC
The Geneseo women's team is once again the squad to beat in the SUNYAC. The Blue Knights are ranked No. 20 in the D3hoops.com preseason poll, and are coming off their second NCAA tournament appearance in the last five seasons.
Last year's men's race was truly wide open, and the standings reflect that. Plattsburgh State finished on top in the conference standings, but just two games separated the top five teams. The Cardinals have a retooled roster this season after losing a number of key pieces, so this conference could become even more unpredictable.
NEAC
The Lancaster Bible women's team received 10 first-place votes and ranked No. 1 in the preseason coaches' poll. The Chargers won the South Division last season and finished 24-6 overall. The team is anchored by the return of senior forward Aubrey Folger, the reigning NEAC Player of the Year. Seniors Katy Stover and Shanice Smith also return.
Coaches on the men's side aren't really sure what to expect. Gallaudet finished No. 1 in the preseason coaches' poll by a single point, but received fewer first-place votes (three) than No. 2 Lancaster Bible. Morrisville State and SUNYIT also received first-place votes, so it's fair to expect a wide-open race.
Others
UAA teams NYU and Rochester, as well as independents Alfred State and SUNY Canton, also fall under the East region. Of those four, NYU figures to be the strongest on both the men's and women's side. The women's team ranked No. 5 in the D3hoops.com Top 25 preseason poll and returns four starters, including senior center Megan Dawe.
Contact me
Have a story idea? A fun stat? Just want to talk some hoops? I'm always happy to hear from a fellow D-III fan. I can be reached via email at andrew.lovell@d3sports.com, or on Twitter at @Andrew_Lovell.
