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INDIANAPOLIS – Northern Kentucky University has been picked by league coaches as the preseason favorite to win the Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division title. NKU, which finished 17-11 last season, received 36 total points and six first-place votes to earn the favorite’s role. The Norse (12-7 GLVC last season) return three starters and nine letterwinners. Wisconsin-Parkside
(15-13, 8-11 GLVC) garnered 28 total points to finish second in
the voting. Kentucky Wesleyan (7-19, 4-15 GLVC) received the final
first-place vote and placed in a tie for third in the poll. The
Panthers and Bellarmine (14-14, 11-8 GLVC) each received 22 total
points. Quincy and Drury tied for third in the west division poll with 26 total points. Quincy received two first-place votes and Drury claimed the final first-place vote. Senior swingman Kevin Schappell averaged 11.2 points per game last season and is NKU’s top returning scorer. Sophomore guard Billy Finnell, last season's GLVC Freshman of the Year, also returns for the Norse. Juniors Vincent Humphrey, Mark Hawkins and Harrison Morton are also back. A trio of Division I transfers - James Cripe, Steven Wright and Anthony Teague - are also expected to make impacts in 2006-07. NKU will meet both Cincinnati and Xavier in exhibition games prior to the regular season. The Norse play Cincinnati on Nov. 1 at Fifth Third Arena, and NKU will visit the Cintas Center on Nov. 6 to meet Xavier. Both games begin at 7 p.m. NKU opens regular-season action Nov. 17 in the John L. Griffin/Lions Club Classic against Ferris State, an NCAA Division II Tournament participant last March. The Bulldogs are members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The following night, NKU will meet Wayne (Mich.) State, which is also a member of the GLIAC. NKU competes in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, which competes with the GLIAC for berths in the eight-team NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region field. NKU begins GLVC play Nov. 30 when Quincy - another NCAA Tournament team last season - visits Regents Hall. Two days later, defending regional champion SIUE comes to Highland Heights to meet NKU in a GLVC showdown. GLVC men's basketball preseason poll East
Division West
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