Bulldogs picked third, Garvin named to Preseason All-NEC team

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The Bryant University men's basketball team has been picked to finish third in the Northeast Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, and junior Dan Garvin (Bethel, Conn.) has been named to the preseason all-conference team as announced Tuesday morning at the annual NEC Social Media Day at the Barclays Center.

The Bulldogs received one first-place vote and are slated behind Mount St. Mary's and Robert Morris. The Mount received six of the 10 first-place votes while the Colonials, the defending league champs, received three. LIU Brooklyn, St. Francis Brooklyn, Wagner, Sacred Heart, Saint Francis U., Fairleigh Dickinson and Central Connecticut round out the preseason poll, respectively.

Bryant went 12-6 in NEC play last season and tied for second overall with Robert Morris. The Bulldogs hosted an NEC Tournament game for the third-straight year and earned the program's first Division I postseason victory in a thrilling double-OT quarterfinal against Sacred Heart. The Black and Gold have posted a 34-18 record in NEC play over the last three seasons.

An All-NEC Second Team selection as a sophomore, Garvin is the Black and Gold's leading returning scorer and rebounder. He emerged as one of the premier big men in the league last year, posting 10.9 points per game and 7.9 rebounds per outing. Garvin finished fourth in the league in rebounds and also posted 48 blocks to finish third in the conference. He posted six double-doubles on the season and finished with a scorching .525 shooting percentage.

Bryant opens the 2015-16 season on Saturday, November 14 against defending national champion Duke.