GREENVILLE, Pa. – There are high expectations for the Geneva College men's basketball team this year, and on Tuesday the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) released its preseason poll, as voted on by the coaches, and the poll reflected those high expectations with the Golden Tornadoes tabbed second.  It is the second straight season the men have been picked second in the preseason poll.  W&J, who won last year's PAC Championship and return all five starters, was named the favorite.

Senior Lyle Tipton enters his senior year as the headline player in the PAC this season after being named the PAC Player of the Year last season.  Tipton led the conference in scoring, and was fifth in NCAA Division III, with a 25.0 scoring average last year.  He also finished third in the PAC with 9.4 rebounds per game, while also finishing in the top ten in field goal percentage (51.4%), free throw percentage (78.6%), three-point percentage (42.7%) and blocked shots (1.1 bpg).

Another key returner this season is junior Ryan Rachic, who still has two years of eligibility remaining after this season.  Rachic transferred from Gannon University last year and made a big impact in his first season as a Golden Tornado.  He was second on the team with a 16.4 scoring average, and his 8.8 rebounds per game were also second behind Tipton.  Both averages were sixth best in the PAC, with Rachic finishing with 11 double-doubles last year.  Rachic was a Second Team All-PAC selection last year.

Geneva's other returning starter is senior point guard Isaac Massie, who runs the offense.  Massie averaged 6.2 points per game and was second on the team with 74 assists.

The Golden Tornadoes have just two other returners in senior Nick Ehko and sophomore Trevor Tipton.  Tipton developed into one of the top three-point shooters in the conference as the season went along, and he'll likely step into the starting lineup in the place of Matt Veynovich, who graduated last season as one of the most dangerous long-range shooters in the PAC.  Geneva will also need to replace Amos Luptak from last year's starting lineup.

Head Coach Jeff Santarsiero, entering his 27^th season, has brought in 12 newcomers this year, nine freshmen and three transfers.  One of those transfers, sophomore Mark Rachic, a transfer from York College and the younger brother of Ryan, figures to see immediate playing time and was highlighted by the PAC as a Player to Watch.  Freshman Jonathan Bertovich was another newcomer highlighted as a Player to Watch by the conference after his prolific scoring career in high school.

The men will open the season at home next Wednesday, November 9, with a 7:30 p.m. matchup against Hiram.  The Golden Tornadoes open PAC the following week when they host Thiel on Wednesday, November 16, at 7:30 p.m.

Geneva College is a Christ-centered academic community that provides a comprehensive education to equip students for faithful and fruitful service to God and neighbor. Offering over 145 traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality. Geneva has one of the top 100 undergraduate engineering programs in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report. Adhering to the truth of Scripture, a Geneva education is grounded in God's Word as well as in a core curriculum designed to prepare students vocationally to think, write and communicate well in today's world. Geneva was founded and is governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) and is a founding member of both the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and IACE (International Association for Christian Education).