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Division II Power Rankings: Jan. 16, 2017

01/16/2017, 8:30am EST
By Josh Verlin

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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The turn of the calendar has seen the resurgence of several Division II programs in the area, and after only ranking six deserving teams two weeks ago we’re back to our typical “Super 7” for the rest of the year.

Here are the updated rankings, with conference play in full swing:

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Previous Rankings: Jan. 2 | Dec. 20 | Dec. 5 | Preseason

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Others to Watch: Bloomsburg (9-6, 5-6 PSAC), Holy Family (7-11, 5-4 CACC), Lock Haven (8-7, 4-7 PSAC) Mansfield (6-8, 4-7 PSAC), USciences (7-11, 5-5 CACC), West Chester (7-9, 5-6 PSAC)

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7. Bloomsburg Huskies (Last Week: OTW)
Record: 9-6 (5-6 PSAC)
Last Two Weeks: vs. Cheyney (W, 104-63), @ Shippensburg (L, 79-75), vs. Edinboro (W, 97-84), vs. Mansfield (W, 86-79), vs. Millersville (W, 78-77)
Star Watch: Christian Mortellite (R-Jr./SF) -- 22.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg

Update: A rough opening to the season that saw Bloom lose five of its first eight games seems to be in the past, as the Huskies have now won six of their last seven to start to move back up the PSAC standings following an 0-5 start to league play. Mortellite, who’s quickly rising up the Bloom scoring charts, has scored 20+ points in all but two games this season. Lately, the Huskies have also been getting strong play from junior forward Carnell McGirt; the 6-7 forward out of Roman Catholic by way of Valley Forge JUCO has scored in double figures in seven straight, including a 26-point outing against Shippensburg and double-doubles against Cheney (14 points/11 rebounds) and Edinboro (10 points/13 rebounds); that streak began when he was taken out of the starting lineup on Dec. 18.
Next Two Weeks: @ Kutztown (Jan. 18, 7:30 PM), vs. East Stroudsburg (Jan. 21, 1 PM), @ Lock Haven (Jan. 25, 7:30 PM), @ Cheyney (Jan. 28, 3 PM)

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6. Philadelphia University Rams (5)
Record: 12-6 (8-2 CACC)
Last Two Weeks: @ Bloomfield (L, 70-67), @ Felician (W, 70-57), vs. Post (W, 64-54), vs. Holy Family (W, 81-77), @ Nyack (W, 80-78)
Star Watch: Jordan DeCicco (Soph./G) -- 15.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 4.3 apg

Update: The Rams suffered a tough blow when junior forward Eric Long went down with an injury in the win over Holy Family, and so it was freshman Josh Bradanese who earned his first collegiate start in the win over Nyack; Philly U survived that one despite only scoring a solitary free-throw over the game’s closing 5:54, almost giving away a 13-point lead. DeCicco played all 160 minutes the last two weeks, scoring 26 against Bloomfield, though his most well-rounded was an 11-point, seven-rebound, eight-assists, zero-turnover game against Post. Junior guard Kaison Randolph closed out the two weeks strong, scoring 21 against Holy Family and 27 against Nyack.
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5. Goldey-Beacom Lightning (6)
Record:
12-3 (7-2 CACC)
Last Two Weeks: vs. Caldwell (W, 84-82), @ Concordia (W, 79-75), vs. Felician (W, 92-83), @ Dominican (W, 98-71)
Star Watch: Shakeem Wilson (Sr./G) -- 13.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg

Update: It’s a five-game winning streak for T.J. Dekmar’s Lightning, who have won 11 of their last 12 games against Division II competition to stay right in the thick of things at the top of the CACC South race. It’s a balanced Goldey-Beacom squad, with all five starters averaging between 10.4 ppg and 13.3 ppg, plus the injured Elijah Tillman (13.6 ppg) as well. The Chestnut Hill game on Thursday is actually the resumption of a Dec. 6 contest, which was suspended at halftime due to a leak in the roof; Goldey-Beacom will begin the second half with a 42-32 lead.

Next Two Weeks: @ Georgian Court (Jan. 17, 8 PM), vs. Chestnut Hill (Jan. 19, 7 PM), @ Roberts Wesleyan (Jan. 21, 1 PM), vs. Holy Family (Jan. 24, 8 PM), @ Nyack (Jan. 28, 2017)

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4. Wilmington Wildcats (4)
Record: 12-6 (7-2 CACC)
Last Two Weeks: @ District of Columbia (W, 91-81), @ Felician (W, 82-73), vs. Dominican (W, 72-69), @ Bloomfield (L, 86-64), vs. Caldwell (W, 85-68)
Star Watch: Tyaire Ponzo-Meek (Sr./G) -- 19.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg

Update: Now at 12 wins, the Wildcats are already three wins past their mark from a year ago, and their seven league wins are also three more than they collected in 2015-16.The loss to Bloomfield ended a five-game winning streak, but Wilmington bounced right back with a nice home win over an above-.500 Caldwell squad. Ponzo-Meek, a 5-11 senior and Wilmington native, set his season high with a 30-point outing against Felician, and has scored in double figures in every game this season.

Next Two Weeks: vs. USciences (Jan. 17, 8 PM), @ Holy Family (Jan. 21, 3 PM), @ Concordia (Jan. 28, 3 PM)

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3. East Stroudsburg Warriors (2)
Record: 12-4 (10-1 PSAC)
Last Two Weeks: vs. Lock Haven (W, 115-78), @ Millersville (W, 119-87), vs. West Chester (W, 98-82), vs. Kutztown (L, 92-87), vs. Slippery Rock (W, 62-53)
Star Watch: Rasheed Moore (Sr./F) -- 18.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg

Update: The Warriors can score in bunches, as they showed Lock Haven and Millersville, but Jeff Wilson’s group can also survive in a slower tempo game, which they proved against Slippery Rock; despite the low score, ESU still shot 43.8 percent (21-of-48) overall and only turned it over 10 times in a 60-possession game. Though the supporting cast seems to rotate on a daily basis -- Kitt Najee Walls, Quindell Brice, Josh Williams, Ryan Krawczeniuk, Jakwan Jones, Nick Giordano and Chris Bing all scored in double figures at once over the last four games -- they’re getting steady production from the 6-8 Moore, who’s scored in double figures in 13 of the 15 games he’s played in, with his third double-double of the season (23 points, 11 rebounds) coming against West Chester.

Next Two Weeks: @ Shippensburg (Jan. 18, 7:30 PM), @ Bloomsburg (Jan. 21, 1 PM), vs. Mansfield (Jan. 25, 8 PM), @ Lock Haven (Jan. 28, 3 PM)

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2. Kutztown Bears (3)
Record: 13-2 (9-2 PSAC)
Last Two Weeks: vs. Clarion (W, 94-80), @ Lock Haven (W, 83-82), vs. Cheyney (W, 98-66), @ East Stroudsburg (W, 92-87), @ Mansfield (W, 91-88 OT)
Star Watch: Josh Johnson (Sr./F) -- 14.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg

Update: The road win at previous No. 2 East Stroudsburg bumps the Bears back up a lot; their only two losses this year have been to then-No. 7 Indiana (Pa.) and current No. 8 Shippensburg, the IUP defeat coming by a solitary point. Kutztown’s five-game winning streak will be tested with a visit from a similarly-hot Bloomsburg on Wednesday, and going up against desperate Millersville and West Chester squads won’t be easy, either. Was tough to pick between Johnson, who had 23 and 7 rebounds against Clarion and 19 points, 10 rebounds against ESU, and junior point guard Ethan Ridgeway, who had 15 points and 13 assists against Clarion and 18 points, 10 assists against Lock Haven.

Next Two Weeks: vs. Bloomsburg (Jan. 18, 7:30 PM), @ Millersville (Jan. 21, 3 PM), vs. West Chester (Jan. 25, 7:30 PM)

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1. Shippensburg Raiders (1)
Record: 15-0 (11-0 PSAC)
Last Two Weeks: vs. Millersville (W, 96-75), vs. Bloomsburg (W, 79-75), @ Mansfield (W, 85-72), vs. West Chester (W, 85-43), @ Lock Haven (W, 86-70)
Star Watch: Dustin Sleva (Jr./F) -- 20.7 ppg, 10.9 rpg

Update: The perfect season continued for Shippensburg with five more wins to start the new year, moving the Raiders up to No. 8 in the latest D-II poll. Sleva, the team’s ultra-talented 6-8 forward, scored in double figures in all five games, including a 27-point outing at Lock Haven that pushed him over the 1,000-point mark in his career; he also had 11 rebounds that game for his 10th double-double of the season. As of yet, there hasn’t been anybody that’s been able to really slow down the Montour (Pa.) native and his teammates, one of six undefeated teams left in the country in D-II; the team with the best chance to do it coming up, East Stroudsburg, would have to do it on the road.

Next Two Weeks: vs. East Stroudsburg (Jan. 18, 8 PM), @ Cheyney (Jan. 21, 1 PM), vs. Pitt-Johnstown (Jan. 25, 8 PM), @ Millersville (Jan. 28, 3 PM)

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