Westminster heads up PAC preseason men's basketball poll

A championship in the spring is just as impressive as one in the winter, as Westminster showed last season.

The Titans finished 11-1 in a truncated 2020 season and raised the trophy in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference. That run of success has the team on top of the PAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll.

The Titans, who downed No. 4 seed Grove City in the championship game, 73-62, return senior guard Daniel Ritter (16.4 points per game), sophomore guard Reese Leone (12.3 ppg, 60 assists), senior forward Tyler James (12 ppg) and senior forward Josh Hutcherson (9.9 ppg).

10th-Year Head Coach Kevin Siroki's Interview: https://t.co/qnKBv4BhEN

— Westminster Titans (PA) Athletics (@WC_Titans) November 3, 2021

Geneva is No. 2 in the poll after an 8-3 showing, while Grove City, Chatham and Washington & Jefferson round out the top five.

The season opens next week, with PAC play to follow on Dec. 1.

The PAC tournament will begin in late February. The champion receives an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament.

PAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll

(First-place votes in parenthesis)

1. Westminster (8)

2. Geneva

3. Grove City (1)

4. Chatham (1)

5. Washington & Jefferson

6. Thiel

7. Waynesburg

8. Saint Vincent

9. Franciscan

10. Bethany

Players to watch

Sean Hickey, GS/G, Franciscan

Matt Popeck, Sr./G, Waynesburg

Malik Potter, Sr./G, Chatham

Daniel Ritter, Sr./G, Westminster

Lyle Tipton, Jr./G-F, Geneva