DC Garners Votes in D3Hoops.com Preseason Poll

DEFIANCE, Ohio – The Defiance College men's basketball team recently received votes in the first edition of the 2008-09 D3Hoops.com poll. The Yellow Jackets did not crack the top 25 but did receive 12 votes in the preseason ranking.

DC was one of three teams from the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference to gain votes, as Transylvania followed the Jackets with 10 points and Franklin rounded out the list with one point. In all, 53 teams from across the nation garnered at least one point in the poll, with Washington University leading the way with 23-of-25 first-place votes and 621 points.

Expectations are high for Defiance entering play in the 2008-09 campaign. Along with a preseason ranking of 43rd in the nation, the Jackets have also been tabbed as the top team in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference by the league coaches, as well as a poll released by D-III News and Small CollegeHoops.com.  

DC is returning three starters and 11 lettermen from a team that posted one of the best seasons in program history one year ago. The Jackets posted a 19-8 record and won the HCAC regular season title by three games with a 13-3 mark. The 19 wins were the most for a Defiance team since winning 21 games in 1992-93 and the HCAC championship was DC's first outright league title since 1993-94 and the 25th conference crown in school history.

Defiance will take the lid off of its 2008-09 campaign when it travels to Albion, Mich., on Nov. 21 to compete in the Albion College Tip-Off Tournament. DC will play Albion at 7:30 pm, before taking on Madonna on Nov. 22 at 3:00 pm.