2003-04 PRESEASON MEN'S BASKETBALL POLL

ROCK ISLAND, Illinois – After finishing in a three way tie for first place a year ago, the Augustana Vikings are a clear-cut favorite in the 2003-04 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin men’s basketball race. The poll, which was conducted with the coaches in the league, showed Grey Giovanine’s Vikings with a perfect score of seven first place votes for 49 points. Last year Augustana, Carthage and Illinois Wesleyan tied for the CCIW title as each team went 11-3 in league play. Illinois Wesleyan won the conference’s automatic berth into the NCAA Division III tournament and won a pair of games to advance to the round of 16 before being eliminated.Wheaton, which finished fourth last year with a mark of 9-5, was picked for second with 43 points and garnered the lone first place vote not going to Augustana. Elmhurst, 6-8 in 2002-03, grabbed third place with 33 points while last year’s other tri-champions: Carthage (31) and Illinois Wesleyan (29), were tabbed fourth and fifth. In sixth was North Central with 18 points while Millikin was seventh with 11 and North Park picked for eighth with 10.

The coaches in the league could not vote for their own teams.

2002-03 CCIW MEN’S BASKETBALLFinal Conference Standings

|------CONFERENCE-------| |--------OVERALL--------|

STANDINGS W-L Pct PF PA W-L Pct PF PA

Augustana College... 11-3 .786 76.6 66.8 20-5 .800 80.5 67.7

Illinois Wesleyan... 11-3 .786 75.4 69.6 22-6 .786 77.3 68.1Carthage............ 11-3 .786 72.3 62.7 19-6 .760 74.7 62.2Wheaton............. 9-5 .643 74.1 69.8 18-7 .720 75.8 68.0Elmhurst............ 6-8 .429 69.9 72.5 11-14 .440 69.8 70.7North Central....... 4-10 .286 75.4 82.1 8-17 .320 74.8 79.8North Park.......... 2-12 .143 75.5 83.4 12-13 .480 79.4 79.9

Millikin............ 2-12 .143 65.6 77.9 7-18 .280 71.2 78.6