Oilers Picked as the Favorite in South Division

2014-15 Preseason GLIAC Men's Basketball

The University of Findlay men's basketball team was picked to finish first in the South Division of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) as the league office unveiled their annual preseason poll on Oct. 29.

The Oilers received a league-high 125 points in the poll, which included 13 first place votes. Walsh University checked in right behind Findlay with 114 points and three first place votes. In the North Division, Michigan Technological University was tabbed as the favorite after recording 121 points and ten first place votes.

Findlay won their third consecutive GLIAC Tournament title last season, the first time a program has ever won three straight in league history, and completed the year with a 24-6 record. They qualified for the NCAA Division II Tournament, but were upended by Lake Superior State in the opening round.

Senior forward Jake Heagen, a preseason first team all-league pick, returns to lead the team after posting averages of 12.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game for the Oilers last season. He was named second team all-conference and also earned a spot on the GLIAC all-tournament team during the 2013-14 campaign.  The New Concord, Ohio native will enter his final season with 888 career points and 480 career rebounds.

Junior guard Dylan Kaufman will also be back for the Oilers after averaging 10.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game during the 2013-14 campaign.  A member of the GLIAC all-tournament team in each of the past two seasons, Kaufman has made 73 three pointers during his tenure with the program.

The Oilers will open up their season with two exhibition games against Wright State University and the University of Toledo. The Oilers will play Wright State on Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. in Dayton, Ohio before facing Toledo on Nov. 8 at 2:30 p.m. in Toledo, Ohio.

Findlay will begin regular season play at home on Nov. 18 against Cedarville University. The game is scheduled to tip at 7:30 p.m. in Croy Gymnasium.