Bryant tabbed eighth in NEC preseason poll

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The Bryant University men's basketball team was selected to finish eighth in the Northeast Conference in a preseason poll of the NEC's head coaches, announced Wednesday at NEC Social Media Day at Barclays Center.

Bryant enters its first season under head coach Jared Grasso with a host of talent led by some of the top returning guards in the NEC. Junior Ikenna Ndugba (Boston, Mass.) leads all NEC returners in assists per game (4.7) while adding 13.8 points and 2.0 steals per game for the Black and Gold as a sophomore. He is joined by fellow junior Adam Grant (Franklin, Va.), who was a third-team all-NEC honoree with a team-high 15.6 points per game a year ago. Grant scored 20 or more points 10 times in his 27 contests a year ago.

The Bulldogs return seven players from last season, all of whom made at least seven starts. Junior SaBastian Townes (Chesapeake, Va.) joins Ndugba and Grant to give Bryant three returning players who averaged 10 points or better per game in 2017-18. Bryant also gains the services of graduate transfer Byron Hawkins (Fort Washington, Md.), who was a member of Murray State's NCAA tournament team a year ago, one redshirt-freshman and five freshmen.

Saint Francis U was picked as the preseason favorite for the second consecutive year, garnering eight of 10 first-place votes. Fairleigh Dickinson and defending tournament champion LIU Brooklyn were selected as second and third-place finishers while splitting the other two first-place votes, and defending regular-season champion Wagner and Robert Morris rounded out the top half.

Central Connecticut and St. Francis Brooklyn also stand ahead of Bryant in the preseason rankings, while Sacred Heart and Mount St. Mary's complete the 10-team poll.

Saint Francis U's Keith Braxton and Jamaal King, Fairleigh Dickinson's Mike Holloway Jr., LIU Brooklyn's Raiquan Clark and Central Connecticut's Tyler Kohl made up the five-player preseason all-conference team.

Bryant opens the 2018-19 season Tuesday, Nov. 6, with an in-state clash against Rhode Island in Kingston. The Bulldogs' 14-game home slate begins Wednesday, Nov. 14 when Bryant hosts Saint Peter's at 7 p.m.

Season tickets for the 2018-19 season are available by clicking HERE or calling (401) 319-TIXX. Single-game tickets will be available Thursday.

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