AUSTINTOWN – The defending Ohio Athletic Conference champions will have some extra motivation heading into the 2014-15 basketball season as the OAC coaches selection Wilmington seventh in the preseason poll, the league announced today.

"The OAC is going to be tougher in the 2014-2015 season than it has been in a long time," said Wilmington head coach K.C. Hunt. "I believe there are multiple NCAA tournament teams in this conference, and I am hopeful we are one of them. I think we are a team that is going to be very competitive on a nightly basis. We are looking forward to the challenge of finishing much higher than seventh."

Mount Union (79 points) earned eight of 10 first-place votes and is the preseason favorite. The Purple Raiders are followed Marietta (68), John Carroll (66, 1 first-place vote), Capital (57, 1 firstplace vote), Ohio Northern (46), Baldwin Wallace (39), Wilmington (37), Heidelberg (28), Muskingum (18) and Otterbein (12).

Wilmington must replace five seniors, including OAC Player of the Year and All-American, Malcolm Heard.

Senior R.J. Leppert (Liberty Twp., OH/Lakota East), a second-team All-OAC selection last season, returns to lead the Fightin' Quakers this season. He was second on the team with 13.5 points and 6.0 rebounds.

Senior Dwight Johnson (Dayton, OH/Jefferson) has spent the last two seasons splitting starting duties at the point guard, and will have the job this season. He led the team with four assists per game, and tallied 8.8 points and 2.9 rebounds.

The Fightin' Quakers boast a talented backcourt with sophomore John Righter (Pataskala, OH/Licking Heights) and Law Williams (Dayton, OH/Thurgood Marshall) joining Leppert and Johnson.

Unlike last season when Heard patrolled the paint, WC will have a committee of players in the post.

Wilmington opens the season 7:30 p.m. November 19 against Mount St. Joseph.