Men’s Basketball Tabbed Ninth in GNAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll

BOSTON – Entering is first year of action under head coach Jeff Juron, the Suffolk men's basketball team was voted to finish ninth in the 2015-16 GNAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, the league office announced Wednesday morning.

The Rams garnered 25 points to place ahead of Rivier (16). At the top with 98 points was Johnson & Wales, who picked up eight first-place nods, while the defending GNAC champion Albertus Magnus collected two first-place votes for 90 points and second-place. Anna Maria's 72 points put the AMCATS one-point ahead of Saint Joseph's Maine (72) with Lasell rounding out the top five at 61 points for fifth.

Suffolk put together an 8-18, 5-13 GNAC campaign in 2014-15. Eight letterwinners return this season including a quartet starters from a year ago; Adam Chick, Matt Duquette, Jake Meister and Caleb Unni.  Meister, who will take the Michael S. Smith & Larry E. Smith Court for his final campaign, is the Rams returning leader in scoring (11.8 ppg), rebounding (6.7 rpg) and assists (2.2 apg) from a year ago. Duquette, meanwhile, enters his junior season coming off an 11.7 ppg and 6.3 rpg performance. Chick (6.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and Unni (8.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.0 apg) will look to continue to contribute in the back court for Suffolk.

Suffolk's 2015-16 roster also features seniors Nacho Ballve, Curtis Casella and Mohammed Sina Shafiezadeh and sophomore Quinn McCartney.The Rams' lineup will also get a boost from the addition of eight rookies; sophomores Jean-Zachary Louissant and Matt McLean and freshman Warfa Abdillahi, Steven DiPrizio, Jim Djema, Michael Hagopian, Kevin Querusio and Mekhi Wright-Hopkins.

Suffolk opens its first year in the Juron era in the friendly confines of Regan Gymnasium Saturday, Nov. 14, with the Beacons of UMass Boston making the cross city trip to Beacon Hill. Tip-off between the city rivals is slated for 3 p.m.