Centennial Conference preseason poll
HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College men's basketball team was predicted for an eighth-place finish in the Centennial Conference after a vote of the conference's head coaches and communications offices. The Fords are coming off of their first double-digit win campaign since the 2010-11 season and received 42 voting points in the preseason poll.
Swarthmore garnered 14 of the 20 first-place votes to claim the top spot in the poll while Johns Hopkins was second with the other six first-place votes. Ursinus, Franklin & Marshall, and Washington College rounded out the top five teams in the poll. Coaches and team representatives were not allowed to vote for their own team.
The Fords graduated three starters from last year's team, including first-team All-Centennial Conference performer Joe Scibelli and fellow 1,000 point scorer Kahlil Garnes. Nevertheless, Haverford has a six-member senior class ready to fill that leadership role on the team and guide the Fords to even greater heights. The Fords will also add an infusion of new talent as six new players (four first-years and two sophomore transfers) join the team for the 2019-20 campaign.
Men's basketball will open its season at home on Friday, November 8 against Lebanon Valley at 7 p.m. inside Gooding Arena. That contest will be one of 13 home dates for the Fords in the upcoming season. Centennial Conference play opens up around the conference on Tuesday, November 26 with the Fords hosting Ursinus. The Centennial Conference Tournament, which is comprised of the top five teams from the regular season, is slated for February 25-29.
Haverford went 10-15 overall last season, including a 6-12 mark in Centennial Conference play. That record was highlighted by the team's first-ever season sweep of Gettysburg along with the program's first win over Dickinson since 2013. In addition to the team's 10 victories, the Fords had the ball with a chance to either take the lead or tie the game in the final minute of regulation on seven other occasions.