West Virginia daily

DUE WEST — The men's basketball team at Erskine College has been ranked in the top five in the preseason Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference (CVAC) poll.

That is something quite out of the ordinary for the Flying Fleet, who have recorded 14-15 records the last three seasons. But, the ranking can serve as a motivator for a team that has a roster filled with juniors with experience.

“It's a strange place to be,” Peeler said. “Last year, we were a team that could beat everybody in our conference at any place. We'll be looking upon this season a whole lot different than we have our previous six (seasons).

The ability to keep a lead, or stay in a close game at the end, has presented problems. However, Peeler said last year's playoffs could be a key toward improvement.

Returning, and expected to help carry the bulk of the offense, are last year's top leading scorers — 6-7 Craig Williams who averaged 17.9 points per game, 6-5 Reed Long who averaged 16.7 per game, and 6-5 Matt Odom, with an average of 11.2 points a game. Williams also led the board play with 7.4 rebounds a game.

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