The OAC men’s coaches’ poll went as follows: John Carroll (6 first place votes), Capital (2), Baldwin-Wallace (2), Muskingum, Ohio Northern, Otterbein, Heidelberg, Mount Union, Wilmington, and Marietta.

“We have some experience returning in the post with Kyle Karpinski, who earned First-Team All-OAC honors last year, and Josh Long, who will see a lot of time inside.” said Raider Head Coach Lee Hood in aconference call with coaches and media Wednesday morning. “Jason Smith, our other returning post player, unfortunately will have surgery soon and won’t be available until after the first of the year. But when we get him back, we should have a pretty good rotation up front. Until that time, it will open opportunities for some of our younger post players. In the perimeter, Eric Fender will play one of the wing positions. Beyond that, we’ll be very young. There’s a lot of talent there, but we’ll have to be patient until those players gain some experience and develop consistency in their game.”

The Purple Raiders open on Saturday, Novermber 19 at Penn State Behrend. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.