Olivet picked sixth and eighth in MIAA preseason basketball coaches’ polls

The Olivet College women’s and men’s basketball teams have been picked sixth and eighth, respectively, in the 2015-16 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Preseason Coaches’ Polls.

November 6, 2015

FREELAND, Mich. -- The Olivet College women’s and men’s basketball teams have been picked sixth and eighth, respectively, in the 2015-16 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Preseason Coaches’ Polls. Each coach was not allowed to vote for his/her own team. Defending league champions Calvin College and Hope College were picked as the women’s and men’s preseason favorites.

Under the leadership of head coach Nicole Burford, the women’s basketball team welcomes back 10 letterwinners from the 2014-15 team which finished with a 14-12 overall record. Three of the returning players -- seniors Dallas Austin, Shauni Hankins and Leighann Thilo -- started at least 19 games each. Austin averaged 3.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Hankins was third in scoring at 8.7 points per game. Thilo started every game and averaged 3.9 assists per game.

Preseason poll results: 1. Calvin (7) 63, 2. Hope (2) 58, 3. Trine 42, 4. Albion 38, 5. Kalamazoo 37, 6. OLIVET 31, 7. Adrian 30, 8. Alma 16, 9. Saint Mary's 9.

Olivet opens the 2015-16 season next Saturday, Nov. 14, when it travels to Ohio to play Oberlin College. Tip-off at Phillips Gymnasium is 6 p.m. The Comets will play their home-opener Monday, Nov. 16, when they welcome Rochester College to The Cutler Event Center for a 7:30 p.m. game.

The men’s basketball team returns five letterwinners from last year’s team. Of the returning players, juniors R.J. Haas and Kevin Woodson both played in 24 games last winter. Haas started 18 games and tied for third on the team in scoring at 7.1 ppg, while shooting at a 46.3 percent clip from the floor. Woodson averaged 6.2 points.

The Comets start the 2015-16 season next Friday and Saturday, Nov. 13-14, at the Trinity Christian College Tournament in Palos Heights, Illinois. Olivet will play Trinity International (Ill.) University Friday night at 7 p.m. ET, and the host Trolls Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET. Olivet opens its home schedule Tuesday, Nov. 24, when it entertains Carthage (Wis.) College, starting at 6 p.m.

Preseason poll results: 1. Hope (6) 48, 2. Trine (1) 41, 3. Calvin (1) 38, 4. Alma 33, 5. Albion 24, 6. Adrian 20, 7. Kalamazoo 11, 8. OLIVET 9.