Men's Basketball Picked to Finish Seventh in CCC Pre-Season Poll
The Leopards, who return nine players from last year's team, open the season this weekend at the Emerson Tip-Off Tournament
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Gordon College has been voted as the favorite to win the 2013-14 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) men's basketball championship after receiving four first place votes for a total of 90 points in the CCC preseason poll. Curry College, the 2012-13 champion, earned second with 89 points and four first-place votes, while Endicott College claimed third with 81 points and the last two first place votes. Nichols College was selected fourth after receiving 64 points to round out the top billing. Wentworth, which finished third a season ago, was picked to finished tied for seventh along with Roger Williams.
Voting for the preseason poll was conducted among the league's head men's basketball coaches.
The top two teams in the 2013-14 preseason poll faced off for the CCC title a season ago. The Colonels were victorious over the Fighting Scots as they won 69-63 on their home court and earned the CCC's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. Curry was unable to find a win in the national tournament, as the Colonels lost to Middlebury in the first round, 68-66.
2013-14 CCC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Team | Points (First Place Votes) | |
| 1. | Gordon | 90 (4) |
| 2. | Curry | 89 (4) |
| 3. | Endicott | 81 (2) |
| 4. | Nichols | 64 |
| 5. | Salve Regina | 51 |
| 6. | Eastern Nazarene | 49 |
| T7. | Roger Williams | 40 |
| T7. | Wentworth | 40 |
| 9. | University of New England | 28 |
| 10. | Western New England | 18 |
All 10 CCC men's basketball teams will kick off their quest for the 2013-14 conference title this weekend. The top eight teams in the 2013-14 regular-season conference standings will qualify for the conference tournament, which gets underway Tuesday, February 25, with quarterfinal action. The winners of the quarterfinal matchups will move on to the semifinals on Thursday, February 27. The two semifinal victors will battle for the CCC championship on Saturday, March 1.
The Leopards open the 2014-15 season at the Emerson College Tip-Off Tournament. Wentworth will play Emmanuel on Friday night and either Emerson or Framingham State on Saturday.
You can view the entire conference release and team capsules here.
(Contributions to this release courtesy of the Commonwealth Coast Conference Office)