The Muhlenberg women’s basketball team received two first-place votes and was picked to finish third again in the Centennial Conference preseason poll. The men were chosen for sixth place, two spots higher than they finished last year.

The complete polls are below, with point totals and first-place votes in parentheses.

WOMEN’S POLL
1. Johns Hopkins .... 190 (11)
2. McDaniel .... 185 (9)
3. Muhlenberg .... 169 (2)
4. Swarthmore .... 122
5. Dickinson .... 120
5. Gettysburg .... 120
7. Franklin & Marshall .... 115
8. Ursinus .... 72
9. Washington .... 57
10. Haverford .... 40
11. Bryn Mawr .... 20

MEN’S POLL
1. Franklin & Marshall .... 156 (13)
2. Johns Hopkins .... 149 (6)
3. Gettysburg .... 121 (1)
4. Haverford .... 112
5. Ursinus .... 107
6. Muhlenberg .... 67
7. Washington .... 62
8. Swarthmore .... 49
9. Dickinson .... 43
10. McDaniel .... 24

The Muhlenberg women will be attempting to win back-to-back Scotty Wood titles for the first time ever after capturing the championship in the last four odd-numbered years, while the men will be looking for their first title since 1999.

A format change this year has both Muhlenberg teams playing their first-round games Friday night.

The strong field for the women’s tournament features three teams that won at least 19 games last winter. The Mules (19-7), who led all of NCAA women’s basketball in scoring and three-pointers last year, will try their style on a Misericordia team that went 12-14 and finished third in the North Division of the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference. The two teams met at a tournament in Massachusetts two years ago and played a close 78-72 game.

The other first-round game pits Lebanon Valley (21-6) against Montclair State (21-7) in a matchup of 2004 ECAC semifinalists. Lebanon Valley returns all five of its starters and received a vote in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association preseason poll.

The men’s part of the tournament consists of four teams looking to improve on sub-.500 records. In the first semifinal, Marymount (Va.), coached by former Mule assistant Scott McClary to a 10-16 record last year, will take on Western New England (12-14). Muhlenberg, which returns all but one player from an 8-17 team, plays Hartwick (2-22) in the first round.

Check back with Mule Sports Daily later in the week for Muhlenberg men’s and women’s basketball season previews.

Tournament Schedule
Friday, November 19
1:00 Lebanon Valley vs. Montclair State (women)
3:00 Marymount vs. Western New England (men)
6:00 Muhlenberg vs. Misericordia (women)
8:00 Muhlenberg vs. Hartwick (men)

Saturday, November 20
1:00 women’s consolation
3:00 men’s consolation
6:00 women’s championship
8:00 men’s championship