 |  |
Fairfield, Quinnpiac Selected For Top Two Spots In Connecticut 6 Coaches Poll
FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University men’s basketball team earned the top spot in the Connecticut 6 Pre-Season Coaches Poll. The poll was selected by vote of the head coaches of the six schools that comprise the Connecticut 6.
Quinnipiac University took second in the pre-season poll, followed by Central Connecticut State University. Yale University and Sacred Heart University finished in a tie for fourth place, while the University of Hartford took sixth in the rankings.
Fairfield finished the 2009-10 season with a 23-11 overall record and advanced to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) tournament final before falling overtime to Siena College. The Stags received a berth to the 2010 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament, and advanced to the second round of the tourney.
Quinnipiac posted a 23-10 overall record in 2009-10, and earned a berth to the NIT after playing the Northeast Conference tournament championship game. The Bobcats enjoyed their most successful season as a Division I program after capturing the NEC regular-season championship. Quinnipiac comes off a European tour over the summer.
Central Connecticut registered a 12-18 overall record a year ago and advanced to the NEC tournament quarterfinals. The Blue Devils will start their 15th season under Head Coach Howie Dickenman, who led his team to its 12th straight NEC tournament appearance.
Sacred Heart posted 14 wins during the 2009-10 campaign, as Head Coach Dave Bike returns for his 33rd season at the helm, the longest tenure of any Connecticut 6 head coach. The Pioneers will take on all five Connecticut 6 teams this season.
Yale tallied 12 wins in the 2009-10 season and finished fourth in the Ivy League standings with six victories. Head Coach James Jones and his team have a challenging schedule in the opening month of the season. After taking on Quinnipiac University, the Bulldogs have Providence, Boston College, and Illinois on the docket.
Hartford welcomes first-year coach John Gallagher to the program, who led the Hawks to a tour of Australia during the month of August. The team posted an 8-22 mark during the 2009-10 season, with six of those victories coming in America East play.
The Connecticut 6 Classic will be a tripleheader which represents the season opener for all six participating schools. The first game features Fairfield University and Sacred Heart University, beginning at 4 pm. Central Connecticut State University takes on the University of Hartford in the second game with tip-off slated for 6pm. Quinnipiac University and Yale University play the final game of the tripleheader starting at approximately 8 pm.
Tickets for the event are $15 for adults and $5 for students from
the participating schools as well as children between the ages of 2
and 12. Tickets can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at (203)
745-3000, or by visiting ticketmaster.com or the Mohegan Sun Arena
Box Office.
2010-11 Connecticut 6 Pre-Season Coaches Poll
1) Fairfield
2) Quinnipiac
3) Central Connecticut
4t) Yale
4t) Sacred Heart
6) Hartford
