College of Idaho Earns Top Spot in Preseason Poll
LA GRANDE, Ore. – Landing six first place votes in the 2016-17 Cascade Collegiate Conference Men‘s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll, College of Idaho was named the favorite for the upcoming season, tallying 112 points in the poll.
C of I is coming off a fourth place finish in the CCC standings last year, going 17-13 overall and 12-8 in conference games. Joey Nebeker, a 2015-16 First-Team All-Conference selection, returns for his final season with the Yotes after averaging 20.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game last season.
Second in the poll is Northwest Christian who had one of their most historic seasons last year, earning the programs first CCC regular season and tournament titles. The Beacons finished the 2015-16 campaign with a 28-7 overall record, going 17-3 in conference, and making an appearance in the second round of the NAIA National Tournament.
NCU returns eight players from last year including Kenny Blackwell who averaged 11.1 points per game with 167 total assists and Jack Hackman who hit 79 three-pointers to average 10.3 points per contest.
Warner Pacific had the hottest offense last season, averaging 88.1 points per game, finishing with a scoring margin of plus-13.5, the highest margin in the CCC. The Knights earned the third spot in the preseason poll with one first place vote after a 24-10 overall finish, and 16-4 in conference play.
Of those returning for Warner Pacific is Collin Malcolm who helped his team get to the CCC tournament title game, averaging 11 points and 6.5 rebounds.
Eastern Oregon, who came in fourth in the poll, will have a familiar face take over direction as Isaac Williams returns for his second stint with the men’s basketball program. Williams coached the Mountaineers from 2009-13 compiling a record of 96-32 during that span. In the 2012-13 season, EOU was featured as the number one ranked team in the NAIA for five weeks in a row.
Eastern finished with a 10-10 conference record, going 15-16 overall a season ago. Last year’s CCC Newcomer of the Year, Kentrell Washington, returns after totaling 25 double-doubles, averaging 19.1 points and 12.6 rebounds per game.
Southern Oregon comes in fifth in the poll after finishing in a tie for second place in the CCC standings last season at 16-4 followed by Northwest who finished 8-12 in conference games.
Key returners for the Raiders include Ben DeSaulnier (18.3 ppg) and Kenny Meyer (7.6 ppg) while the Eagles return Dak Shagren (16.6 ppg) and Ben Tucakovic (15 ppg).
For the first time in 45 years, the Oregon Tech men’s basketball team will have a new coach as Justin Parnell prepares for his first season with the Owls after the retirement of Danny Miles.
In honor of Oregon Tech’s longtime coach, the Cascade Conference announced that with the start of the 2016-17 season, the CCC men's basketball tournament trophy has been renamed the "Danny Miles Trophy." Miles led the Owls to three national championships and finished with an overall coaching record of 1040-437.
OIT finished the 2015-16 campaign with a 22-8 overall record and return 12 players overall, including Joel Yellow Owl who averaged 16.4 points per game with just under five rebounds (4.8).
Coming in eighth in the poll is another team that will see new leadership in 2016 as Austin Johnson enters in his first season as head coach of Corban. The Warriors finished even in conference play at 10-10 and return First Team All-Conference guard AJ Monterossi, who averaged 18.4 points and 5.2 assists per game.
Finishing off the preseason poll are Evergreen in ninth, followed by Multnomah and Walla Walla, who both enter their second year in the CCC, in 10
th and 11
th respectively.
2016-17 CCC Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Place |
Institution |
Points |
2015-16 Overall |
2015-16 CCC |
| 1. |
College of Idaho (6) |
112 |
17-13 |
12-8 |
| 2 |
Northwest Christian (4) |
110 |
28-7 |
17-3 |
| 3. |
Warner Pacific (1) |
103 |
24-10 |
16-4 |
| 4. |
Eastern Oregon |
81 |
15-16 |
10-10 |
| 5. |
Southern Oregon |
78 |
24-9 |
16-4 |
| 6. |
Northwest |
64 |
12-19 |
8-12 |
| 7. |
Oregon Tech |
59 |
23-9 |
12-8 |
| 8. |
Corban |
52 |
16-13 |
10-10 |
| 9. |
Evergreen |
33 |
8-20 |
5-15 |
| 10. |
Multnomah |
20 |
7-23 |
2-18 |
| 11. |
Walla Walla |
14 |
4-24 |
2-18 |
First place votes in parentheses