IRVINE, Calif. – A new era of Concordia University Irvine men's basketball gets underway when the regular season begins in early November and the votes are in for the PacWest Preseason Poll.
The Golden Eagles were projected to finish sixth by head coaches in the poll but also claimed one first-place vote announced on Wednesday.
Head coaches from the ten teams in the conference cast their votes and the defending conference champion Point Loma Sea Lions were named as the preseason favorite to repeat. Westmont was a close second and also received one first-place vote. HPU, Jessup and Vanguard round out the top five directly in front of CUI.
CLICK HERE for the full PacWest Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
New head coach Scott Clark
enters his first season at Concordia with five returners including defensive ballhawk
Radek Homer. He is joined by talented upperclassmen
James Freeman,
Ben Krystkowiak,
Akeem Akeredolu and point guard
Kevin Haupt.
Coach Clark and his staff brought in 11 new players including eight transfers:
Neel Beniwal (F/G, Univ. of San Diego);
Luka Djurovic (G, Chadron State);
Tyler Isaak (G, Montana);
Amiri Meadows (G, Citrus College);
Zee McCown (G, Assumption);
Cole Pepe (G, GCU);
Jacob Simon (G/F, Chapman);
Pejan Slater (F/C, Chaminade).
The three true freshman joining the fold are
Mattie Dalton (Rosmini College in New Zealand),
Clint Hamann (BG Hessing Leitershofen in Germany) and
Anthony Magee (Chaminade Prep). Dalton is the younger brother of former CUI basketball player Charlie Dalton.
CLICK HERE for a full breakdown of Coach Clark and his staff's first recruiting class
Beniwal, Isaak, and Pepe are all former D1 players and are listed on the PacWest Preseason Watch List. All returning All-PacWest players and D1 transfers were included in this year's men's basketball list.
CLICK HERE for a look at the PacWest Men's Basketball Preseason Watch List
Concordia opens the regular season at home against Colorado Christian on Monday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. PT.
The Golden Eagles will also be part of a home tripleheader later that Friday, Nov 13 following the Concordia women's basketball home opener against Stanislaus State
CLICK HERE for the full CUI men's basketball schedule
