AUSTINTOWN – The Wilmington College men's basketball team was picked to finish ninth in the 10-team Ohio Athletic Conference in vote of conference coaches, announced today (Wednesday, November 2) by the league.

"This is as deep of a league that we have had in my ten years as a head coach," said Wilmington head coach K.C. Hunt. "With that said we have designs on finishing a heck of a lot higher than ninth place."

John Carroll and Marietta split the votes, each finishing with 77 points and five first-place votes, to be the co-favorites. They are followed by Baldwin Wallace (60), Mount Union (54), Ohio Northern (50), Heidelberg (48), Capital (30), Muskingum (25), Wilmington (19) and Otterbein (10).

Junior Christian Jones (Hamilton, OH/Hamilton) leads a team that returns three starters from a season ago. The Fightin' Quakers finished 5-19 overall after falling to Marietta in the first round of the OAC Tournament.

Wilmington travels to Northern Kentucky University 8 p.m. Friday for an exhibition game and will kick off the regular season by hosting Mount St. Joseph 8 p.m. November 15.