Purple Knights Predicted To Reclaim ECC Men's Basketball Crown
UB To Face Division I Fairfield University On Friday Night In Exhibition Action At The Webster Bank Arena At Harbor Yard
Central Islip, N.Y. – The University of Bridgeport men's basketball team has been selected by the coaches of the East Coast Conference to repeat as champions in the 2013-14 season. The league's coaches also selected John Petrucelli (Hicksville, N.Y.) of Molloy College as the Preseason Player of the Year.
Bridgeport, coming off their second ECC title in four seasons and a run to the NCAA East Region Tournament final, received six first place votes and 115 points to top the preseason poll. The Purple Knights received the top spot in the poll despite returning only one starter (Ivan Simic; 11.7 ppg) and two key reserves who played more than 10 minutes per game (JoJo Swift; ECC Championship Most Outstanding Player, 10.4 ppg and Ognjen Zoric; 12.3 mpg, 4.7 ppg) from last year's squad.
Joining Bridgeport at the top of the poll with 110 points and five first place votes is another long-time ECC power, LIU Post. The Pioneers also have a lot of new faces with a new head coach, Erik Smiles, and only four returning players. Among the four returnees, however, is two-time All-Conference pick and 15.5 point per game scorer a year ago, Vaughn Allen.
Molloy College rounds out the top three with 91 points. The Lions are coming off the most successful season in school history after posting a program record 18 wins in the 2012-13 campaign.
A big reason for the Lions' success was the play of the Preseason Player of the Year, John Petrucelli. Petrucelli, a three-time ECC All-Conference selection, stuffed the stat sheet last season. In 28 games, he led the team and ranked near the top of the ECC leader board in scoring (14.8 ppg), rebounding (7.6 rpg), and assists (3.6 apg). Petrucelli also led the squad and ranked second in all of Division II by averaging 3.6 steals per game. This is the second preseason honor for the senior forward, as the Division II Bulletin named him a Preseason All-American.
2013-2014 ECC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
| Team | Pts. | Last Year's Record |
| 1. Bridgeport (6) | 115 | 23-10 (15-3 ECC) |
| 2. LIU Post (5) | 110 | 18-9 (13-5 ECC) |
| 3. Molloy | 91 | 18-10 (13-5 ECC) |
| 4. Dowling | 80 | 13-16 (8-10 ECC) |
| 5. NYIT | 78 | 19-10 (13-5 ECC) |
| 6. Queens | 61 | 11-16 (11-7 ECC) |
| 7. Daemen | 58 | 27-6 (n/a) |
| 8. District of Columbia | 48 | 6-20 (5-13 ECC) |
| 9. Roberts Wesleyan | 35 | 8-22 (4-14 ECC) |
| 10. St. Thomas Aquinas | 32 | 5-23 (5-13 ECC) |
| 11. Mercy | 18 | 4-22 (3-15 ECC) |
( ) - First Place Votes
Preseason Player of the Year: John Petrucelli, Molloy (Sr., F, 6-4)