GWU Men Tabbed Fourth In Preseason Basketball Poll, Flittner Named All-Conference
October 13, 2009 | Men's Basketball
CHARLOTTE - Gardner-Webb was picked to finish fourth in the Big
South Conference's preseason men's basketball poll Monday, as
selected by the league's head coaches and media.
The poll was announced as part of the conference's annual media day
festivities at the Renaissance Hotel in Charlotte. Senior guard
Grayson Flittner (Tipton, Ind. / Tri-Central HS) was named to the
league's preaseason All-Conference team for the second year in a
row as well.
Gardner-Webb, which finished with a 9-9 league mark and in a tie
for fifth last season, posted a 13-17 overall record in 2008-09.
Seven of those losses came when Flittner, the team's top scorer
last season at 14.5 ppg, was sidelined with an injury.
The Runnin' Bulldogs return four starters from last season's
lineup, and will have six seniors in tow for the 2009-10 campaign.
In addition to Flittner, GWU also returns 6-8 senior center Auryn
McMillan (9.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg); 6-4 junior wing Jonathan Moore (9.1
ppg, 3.6 rpg) and 6-3 sophomore forward Josh Henley (6.8 ppg, 10.3
rpg) to the starting lineup.
Seniors C.J. Hailey (Charlotte, N.C. / Harding HS) and Anton Silver
(Concord, N.C. / Concord HS) add solid depth to the backcourt,
along with classmate Brandon Jackson (Orlando, Fla. / Pine Castle
Christian) once football season concludes. Matt Maden, a 6-foot-11,
285-pound center, rounds out the team's senior experience.
Several newcomers are expected to play a key role in Gardner-Webb's
2009-2010 fortunes, with the 'Dogs adding seven new faces during
the offseason: 6-0 point guard Brian McNair (Wilson, N.C. /
Greenfield School), 6-7 forward Luke Engelken (St. Joseph, Mo. /
Butler CC), 6-6 forward Keith Manley (Greensboro, N.C. / Grimsley
HS), 6-3 guard David Brown (Margate, Fla. / Broward College), 6-6
guard Thomas Staton (Southfield, Mich. / Clarkston HS), 6-6 forward
Stefon Johnson (Cincinnati, Ohio / Princeton HS) and 6-1 guard
Bryan Burrell (Raleigh, N.C. / Vance-Granville CC).
Defending regular season and tournament champion Radford was tabbed
first with 239 points, and collected 23 of 24 possible first-place
votes. Highlanders' center Artsiom Parakhouski was named preseason
Player of the Year after earning that same postseason honor as a
junior in 2008-2009.
UNC Asheville (191 points) was projected second and Winthrop (179
points, 1 first-place vote) was projected third, with Gardner-Webb
collecting 130 total points to finish fourth in the preseason
balloting. VMI, High Point, Liberty, Coastal Carolina, Charleston
Southern and Presbyterian rounded out the preseason poll.
Gardner-Webb tips of practice on Friday, October 16, and will host
Bulldog Madness that same night at 9 pm ET in Paul Porter Arena.
GWU opens the season on Nov. 14 at home vs. Covenant College (7:00
pm).
