FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

CCIW Men's Basketball Preseason Poll and Coaches' Chat

Oct. 30, 2013 - The North Central College men's basketball program has been picked to finish fourth in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) this season. The results of the CCIW's annual preseason men's basketball coaches' poll were released Wednesday.
 
The Cardinals finished the 2012-2013 campaign with an overall record of 28-4, establishing a new single-season school record for wins, and advancing to the national semifinals of the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship for the first time. North Central won its second straight CCIW Tournament Championship and opened the season with a school-record 13-game winning streak.
 
Illinois Wesleyan University claimed the top spot in the poll with 48 points and six first-place votes, while Wheaton College is second with 44 points and two first-place votes and Augustana College is third with 36 points, followed by the Cardinals with 30.
 
The bottom half of the poll includes Carthage College (22 points), Millikin University (21), Elmhurst College (16) and North Park University (7).
 
Ranked No. 6 nationally in the recently-released D3hoops.com Top 25 Preseason Poll, North Central returns three starters from last year's team, including D3hoops.com First Team All-American Landon Gamble and Third Team All-CCIW selection Vince Kmiec.

The Cardinals open the season Nov. 15 against Valor Christian College (Ohio) in the Chicago Marriott Naperville Tip-Off Tournament at Gregory Arena, and begin CCIW play Saturday, Jan. 4 against North Park.