Grizzlies hoping to repeat history

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.— If history repeats itself, the Adams State College men’s basketball team and coach Mark Murdock are going to be quite happy come March.

The Grizzlies were picked last in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Poll that was released Wednesday but only need to look back a year to find solace and motivation in the positioning.

In 2008-09, the New Mexico Highlands University Cowboys were in ASC’s spot in the poll but went on to win the RMAC West Division title as the coaches prognostications were proved utterly wrong.

The Cowboys are picked to win the West Division again this year and have also been tabbed to win the overall RMAC regular season crown as they received seven of the first place votes while receiving 22 total points in the polling of the RMAC’s 14 head coaches, who were asked to rank the teams 1-13 without voting for their own squad.

Metro State, which won the RMAC’s overall regular season title and also the RMAC Shootout, received five first place votes.  The Roadrunners were tabbed second overall with 27 points.

Fort Lewis and Mesa State also received one first place vote apiece and were picked third and fourth overall with 42 and 50 points, respectively.  Both of those teams hail from the West Division.

Colorado State-Pueblo was picked fourth in the West and seventh overall with 86 points while Western State was tabbed fifth in the division and 11th overall with 132 points.  Western New Mexico was picked sixth in the division and 12th overall with 135 points while the Grizzlies received 160 points.

Colorado Christian was picked second in the East Division and fifth overall with 61 points while Nebraska-Kearney (78 points) was tabbed third in the division and sixth overall.  Colorado Mines (88 points), UC-Colorado Springs (124) and Regis (125) followed suit in the eighth, ninth and 10th overall spots while Chadron State was tabbed to finish seventh in the East Division and 13th overall with 148 points.

The conference’s coaches also selected the Preseason All-RMAC and all-division teams as well.

The Preseason All-RMAC team is led by Preseason Player of the Year DeAndre Lansdowne of Fort Lewis.  New Mexico Highlands had two players selected in Roman Andrade and Chris Dunn.  Colorado Christian’s Justin Neuhaus, also named as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, and Metro State’s Donte Nicholas were also selected to the elite 5-man squad.

Lansdowne, Andrade and Dunn were also joined on the Preseason All-RMAC West Division squad by Mesa State’s Jase Herl and New Mexico Highlands’ Rashad Peterson.

Colorado Mines’ Dale Minschwanner, Regis’ Matt Rosinski and Nebraska-Kearney’s Max Froehlich, join Neuhaus and Nicholas on the Preseason All-RMAC East Division team.

The Grizzlies have already been practicing for nearly two weeks and will hold a scrimmage on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. in Plachy Hall against Otero Junior College.  They then face Division I Southern Utah in an exhibition game on Nov. 6 before beginning the regular season with three straight home games, including their home and season-opener against Oklahoma Panhandle State on Nov. 17 at 7 p.m.

Related Item: Complete RMAC Release