The media and the coaches polls have both picked the Wabash basketball team to finish fourth in the final standings of the upcoming season. The Little Giants received 73 points in the coaches poll and 142 points in the media poll. The polls were conducted as part of the NCAC's annual basketball media day.
Wooster was the top pick in both polls. The defending league champion received all but two first-place votes in both polls. The Fighting Scots finished with 218 points in the media poll and 98 points in the coaches poll. Ohio Wesleyan (90 points), and Wittenberg (78) each received a first place vote from the coaches. Two first place media votes went to Ohio Wesleyan (192) with Wittenberg trailing in third (174).
Pre-season All-American senior forward Andrew Zimmer leads the Little Giants again this season. He averaged 19.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per contest last year to pace the Wabash squad. Senior Earl Rooks had 70 assists while averaging 3.4 points a game. Gary Simkus averaged 12.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in the first half of the season before departing to study abroad in Spain during the final half of the year.
"We have a good mix of experienced players coming back and some talented new players who have all been working hard in practice," head coach Mac Petty said. "Last year's team showed how much it had improved throughout the season, finishing fifth in the standings before winning its first conference tournament game at Allegheny then having to turn right around and play Wooster three nights later.
"I believe they've carried over that confidence and knowledge that they did become a good basketball team to this season. It's shown in the leadership of the seniors prior to the start of practice and we've seen it in the first few weeks."
Wabash opens the 2007-08 season Friday, November 16 at 8 p.m. at Chadwick Court against Kentucky Christian College. The game is part of the annual Little Giant Tipoff Classic. Humber College and Indiana Wesleyan University play at 6 p.m. that night. Humber and Kentucky Christian face off Saturday at 1 p.m. in final day of the classic, while Wabash and Indiana Wesleyan play at 3 p.m.