Ravens Nab Top Spot In Northeast Division Preseason Poll
RINDGE, N.H. (November 9, 2016) – The Franklin Pierce University men's basketball team has been selected as the preseason favorite of the Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division after the announcement of the 2016-17 Men's Basketball Coaches' Poll on Wednesday afternoon.
The Ravens earned 94 points, tops in the entire conference and seven first place votes en route to the top spot in the division. Saint Anselm stands in the second spot as the Hawks racked up 87 points and three first place votes. Reigning NE-10 Champion Southern New Hampshire rounds out the Northeast Division top-three with 81 points and two first place votes.
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Last season, the Crimson and Grey finished the campaign at 16-12, 12-9 NE-10 and earned a trip to the NE-10 Tourney. The squad was victorious in their First Round matchup versus Le Moyne (73-69), but fell to Bentley in the Quarterfinals (86-71). Head coach David Chadbourne enters his 18th season at the helm of the men's program and has accumulated a 248-234 (.515) overall mark in 17 seasons which includes 13 postseason appearances.
Team captain Donte Gittens (Hartford, Conn.) headlines the returning players for the Crimson and Grey. A NE-10 Third Team selection last season, Gittens averaged 14.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 43 percent from the hardwood.
The Ravens open up the season on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. versus Chestnut Hill at Philadelphia University.
2016-17 Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Team | Points (First Place Votes) |
| 1. Franklin Pierce | 94 (7) |
| 2. Saint Anselm | 87 (3) |
| 3. Southern New Hampshire | 81 (2) |
| 4. Stonehill | 78 (3) |
| 5. Bentley | 55 |
| 6. Assumption | 28 |
| 7. Merrimack | 27 |
| 8. Saint Michael's | 26 |
For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce men's basketball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).