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INDIANAPOLIS - Wisconsin-Parkside and Drury have been selected as the favorites to claim divisional titles in the Great Lakes Valley Conference men’s basketball preseason poll, the league office announced Wednesday. Wisconsin-Parkside (19-13 overall last season), which received three first-place votes and 32 total points, is picked to win the GLVC East Division title in a poll of the league’s head coaches. Drury (four first-place votes, 34 points) is the choice to top the GLVC West Division. Northern Kentucky University is picked second in the GLVC East with 27 points and one first-place vote. The Norse posted a 24-9 record last season and advanced to the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region championship game. NKU must replace first team All-American and GLVC Player of the Year Steven Wright (16.8 points per game) from that squad. The Norse are also missing 7-foot center James Cripe (7.8 ppg, 45 blocked shots) and guard Kevin Schappell (10.5 ppg) from last season. Junior point guard Billy Finnell (7.5 ppg, team-leading 123 assists) returns for NKU. The Norse also welcome back forwards Vincent Humphrey (7.5 ppg) and Harrison Morton (6.0 ppg) in 2007-08. Shooting guard Mark Hawkins (4.1 ppg), defensive standout David McFarland, point guard Scott Bibbins and center Travis Rasso also return for NKU, which won the GLVC East championship last season with a 13-6 record. NKU plays an exhibition game at Cincinnati on Oct. 31. The final season of basketball in Regents Hall tips off Nov. 16 in the annual John L. Griffin/Lions Club Classic as NKU plays UC-Clermont at 7:45 p.m. The next evening, NKU plays host to NCAA Division II national power Findlay in a rematch of last season’s Great Lakes Regional semifinal game. NKU will say farewell to Regents Hall on Feb. 16, when Indianapolis visits for a 7 p.m. game. The Norse will move into their new on-campus home, The Bank of Kentucky Center, beginning in 2008-09. Members of the 1971-72 Norse men’s basketball team, the first in the school’s history, will be recognized during the final game in Regents Hall on Feb. 16. The 1971-72 team did not have a home gym in which to play games or practice. 2007-08 Great Lakes Valley Conference preseason poll West
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