Temple University Athletics
Men's Basketball Picked to Finish Second in A-10 Preseason Poll
10.13.11 | Men's Basketball
Fernandez, Moore named preseason first team all-conference
Fran Dunphy Interview
BROOKLYN, NY - Temple senior guards Juan Fernandez and Ramone Moore were selected to the Atlantic 10 Conference preseason first team, and the Owls were picked second to Xavier in the preseason coaches poll released Thursday at the league's annual Media Day, held at the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge. Both the awards and the predicted order of finish were chosen by a panel of the leagues head coaches and media members.
Senior forward Scootie Randall was selected to the A-10's preseason third team while redshirt freshman forward Anthony Lee was chosen for the league's all-rookie team.
Xavier garnered 304 total points and 18 first-place votes to place first in the predicted order of finish. The Musketeers finished 24-8 overall and 15-1 in the A-10 last season and have clinched at least a share of the A-10 regular season record the last five years. XU also led all teams with five players selected for preseason awards. Temple, chosen second in the preseason poll, finished at 14-2 last year in the A-10 and 26-8 overall. The Owls, who have won three of the last four Atlantic 10 Championships, had four first-place votes and a total of 287 points for second place.
Saint Louis was picked third with 239 points, followed by St. Bonaventure (217 points), defending A-10 champion Richmond (196 points) and Dayton (168 points). Saint Joseph's was picked seventh with 165 points and George Washington tallied 163 points to earn the eighth place. Duquesne (151 points) and Rhode Island (117 points) completed the top 10, while Charlotte, Massachusetts, La Salle and Fordham rounded out the 14-team field.
Joining Fernandez and Moore on the preseason first team were Tu Holloway of Xavier, St.Bonaventure's Andrew Nicholson and George Washington's Tony Taylor.
Seniors Chris Johnson (Dayton) and Kenny Frease (Xavier) were both named to the preseason all-conference second team. They were joined by juniors Mark Lyons (Xavier), Chris Gaston (Fordham) and Kwamain Mitchell (Saint Louis).
Randall was joined on the third team by Charlotte's Derrio Green and Chris Braswell, Saint Joseph's Carl Jones, Duquesne sophomore T.J. McConnell.
Holloway, Nicholson, McConnell were also selected for the All-Defensive team. Senior Darrius Garrett (Richmond) and sophomore C.J. Aiken (Saint Joseph's) were also named to the all-defensive team.
There was a tie in the All-Rookie team voting, resulting in a six-member team. Jerrell Wright (La Salle), Cady LaLanne (Massachusetts), Alonzo Nelson-Odada (Richmond), Anthony Lee (Temple), Dezmine Wells (Xavier) and Justin Martin (Xavier) were all named preseason all-rookie.
The Owls begin practice on Friday afternoon with the team's opener on November 14 at Penn (7:00 p.m.).
