SALEM, Va. - The Emory & Henry College Men's Basketball Team has been picked to finish fifth in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference this season, ODAC officials announced Thursday. The release came as part of the league's annual media day held on the site of the Salem Civic Center. The poll is voted on by the 12 head coaches in the league. The Wasps earn their highest pick in the poll since being selected to tie for fifth prior to the 2006-07 season.

Perennial league power Virginia Wesleyan College is once again the favorite, earning eight of the 12 first-place votes. Roanoke College is second with two first-place votes while Guilford College is third with one top nod. Lynchburg College is tabbed as fourth and the final first-place vote goes Hampden-Sydney College, which is seventh overall.

Emory & Henry returns all five starters for a second year in a row. Last year, the Wasps posted a 16-12 overall record with an 8-8 mark against conference opponents. It was the first winning season since 2006-07, E&H doubled its number of ODAC victories in the process, and the most overall wins since the 2003-04 season.

The Wasps reached the semifinals of the 2016 ODAC Tournament for the first time since 2004, winning two postseason games for the first time since the 1993-94 campaign. The 101-54 First Round win over twelfth-seeded Shenandoah was the most lop-sided victory in ODAC Tournament history at 47 points.

Senior guard Myles Turner (Richmond, Va.) was selected to the All-ODAC Second Team a year ago, his second-straight all-league recognition. Turner averaged 11.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Joining Turner from last year's starting five are senior Ryan Gravley (Austinville, Va.), senior forward Brandon Self (Norfolk, Va.), junior guard John Shelor (Giles, Va.) and sophomore forward Aaron Ferguson (Princeton, W.Va.), who combined for 132 starts and 59.6 points per game.

E&H will open 2016-17 at home against Sewanee: The University of the South on Tuesday, November 15 at 6:00 p.m. The contest will be the first of a doubleheader with the Wasps' women's squad. E&H will play its ODAC game of the season on Saturday, November 26 when they travel to face league favorite Virginia Wesleyan. The first home conference game of the year will be on Wednesday, January 4 at 7:00 p.m. against Lynchburg College.

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-photo courtesy of Gracie Withers

2016-17 ODAC MEN'S BASKETBALL
PRESEASON POLL

(#) Denotes First Place Votes