Pirates Looking for Fourth Straight Trip to NCAA DIII Tournament

Whitworth 16th in D3hoops.com Poll Complete Poll

David Riley

SPOKANE, Wash. - Whitworth University will open the 2009-10 men's basketball season ranked 16th in the D3hoops.com top-25 poll. The authoritative website on NCAA Division III basketball released its preseason poll today.

The Pirates, who have played in three straight NCAA Division III tournaments, finished the 2008-09 season 24th in the final poll after reaching the second round of the national championship.

Whitworth returns three starters from last season, including First Team All-Northwest Conference selection David Riley (Jr., F, Palo Alto, Calif.). Also returning are Clay Gebbers (Jr., G, Brewster, Wash.) and 6-8 Nate Montgomery (Sr., P, Sammamish, Wash.).

According to the preseason poll, the Pirates will play a challenging schedule this season. Whitworth will open Wisconsin-Stevens Point, ranked 10th in the preseason poll, and will host Wisconsin-Whitewater (13th). Both are members of the powerful Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletics Conference and figure to be title contenders for that league. Whitworth is also part of the Lopata Classic, hosted by two-time defending national champion Washington University (Mo.). Whitworth will have to get past Pomona-Pitzer, a favorite in the SCIAC this season, in the first round of the Lopata to play against Washington.

In addition, Whitworth will play the always-difficult Northwest Conference schedule, including two match-ups with 18th-ranked University of Puget Sound.

The 2009-10 season gets underway November 20-21 at the University of Puget Sound Tip Off Classic.