Senior Kyle Moore was named to the Basketball Times Preseason All-America Team

Tusculum Ranked 13th in Basketball Times Preseason Poll

PINEHURST, N.C. --- The Tusculum College men’s basketball team is listed 13th in the Basketball Times Preseason Division II Poll announced officials Thursday.  Senior Kyle Moore was also named to the Basketball Times Preseason All-America Team.
 
The Pioneers are the lone NCAA II Southeast Region squad listed in this year’s poll.  Tusculum returns four starters from last year’s 20-11 squad that advanced to the Food SAC Tournament Championship game and earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Division II Tournament.

The Pioneers return four starters from last year’s team that posted the program’s first 20-win season in 16 years.  Tusculum is also listed No. 6 in the nation according to this year’s Division II Bulletin preseason poll and 14th by the NABC/NCAA Division Preseason Poll.  It is the Pioneers best rankings in school history.
 
Moore, a 6-3, 185-pound guard from Gainesville, Fla., was last season’s South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year.  He led the league in scoring, averaging 21.1 points per game, while establishing a pair of league records with 101 three-point field goals made and 203 made free throws.  In just two seasons, Moore has recorded 1,120 points, which are 15th in Tusculum history.  Moore was named to last year’s Division II Bulletin All-America squad, becoming the first player in school history to garner DII All-America distinction.  Moore has garnered Preseason All-America status by two other organizations this year already (The Sporting News and Division II Bulletin).

Bellarmine is the top-ranked team in this year’s Basketball Times Preseason Poll.  Tusculum will face the Knights on Dec. 21 in Louisville, Ky.  BYU-Hawaii is second, followed by Central Missouri, Valdosta State, Bentley, Indiana (Pa.), Grand Valley State, Humboldt State, Cal Poly Pomona, St. Cloud State, Findlay, Philadelphia, Tusculum Merrimack, Johnson C. Smith, Winona State, Northern Kentucky, Kutztown, Southwest Minnesota State and Seattle Pacific.  TC could also face in the No. 17 Northern Kentucky in the second day of the John Griffin Classic (hosted by NKU) on Nov. 21 in Highlands Heights, Ky.
 
Tusculum tips off its season Nov. 16 when they host Tennessee Wesleyan at Pioneer Arena, beginning at 8 p.m.

- TC -

2009-10 Basketball Times Preseason Division II Top 20
Rk  Team
1.    Bellarmine
2.    BYU-Hawaii
3.    Central Missouri
4.    Valdosta State
5.    Bentley
6.    Indiana (Pa.)
7.    Grand Valley State
8.    Humboldt State
9.    Cal Poly Pomona
10.  St. Cloud State
11.  Findlay
12.  Philadelphia
13.  TUSCULUM
14.  Merrimack
15.  Johnson C. Smith
16.  Winona State
17.  Northern Kentucky
18.  Kutztown
19.  Southwest Minnesota State
20.  Seattle Pacific

Tusculum Opponents in Italics

Basketball Times NCAA II All-America Top 25
Lucas Alves, BYU-Hawaii
Gerald Brooks, Indiana, Pa.                          
Brandon Brown, Cal State San Bernardino 
Duke Crews, Bowie State
Tyrone Curnell, Valdosta State
Stephen Dennis, Kutztown
James Dillard, Johnson C. Smith
Darren Duncan, Merrimack
L.J. Dunn, Barton
Kendrick Easley, Mount Olive
Laurence Ekperigin, Le Moyne
Russell Frederick, Philadelphia
Chris Hall, Lynn
Aaron Hill, Rockhurst
Braydon Hobbs, Bellarmine
Malcolm Ingram, Philadelphia
David Johnson, Winona State
Justin Keenan, Ferris State
Ben Madgen, Augusta State
Kyle Moore, Tusculum
Travis Nelson, Minnesota State-Mankato            
Marcus Parker, Findlay
Matt Rogers, Southwest Baptist
Jason Westrol, Bentley
Nick Wolf, Rollins