Gregory Echenique
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Rutgers men's basketball coach Fred Hill, along with senior center Hamady Ndiaye (Dakar, Senegal), junior guard Mike Coburn (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) and sophomores Gregory Echenique (Guatire, Venezuela) and Mike Rosario (Jersey City, N.J.), were the Scarlet Knights' representatives at the annual BIG EAST Conference Men's Basketball Media Day, held today at Madison Square Garden. RU was selected 15th in the league’s preseason poll, which was voted upon by the head coaches.
The event opened with remarks from Commissioner John Marinatto before the players and coaches were interviewed by print, radio and television media. The media turnout was among the largest in league history.
Villanova was picked as the favorite to win the regular-season crown in the poll. The Wildcats, who advanced to the NCAA Final Four last year, finished just ahead of West Virginia. Villanova received 10 first-place votes and 218 points in the poll. The Mountaineers picked up five first-place votes and 215 points.
For the second straight season, Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody was named BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year by a vote of the league’s head coaches. He is only the second player in the history of the BIG EAST to earn Preseason Player of the Year honors more than once. Georgetown’s Patrick Ewing was honored three times (1982-83, 1983-84 and 1984-85).
Cincinnati freshman guard Lance Stephenson was named BIG EAST Preseason Rookie of the Year. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.
Rutgers begins its regular season at the RAC against Marist on Saturday Nov. 14. The schedule features 15 opponents that earned postseason berths in 2008-09 and a meeting with North Carolina in Chapel Hill. The slate also includes a potential meeting with 2009 NCAA finalist Michigan State in Atlantic City. If the Scarlet Knights meet the Spartans, the schedule will include both of the 2009 NCAA finalists, the entire Final Four, as well as six teams that advanced to the Elite Eight.
