The 2017-18 Emory men's basketball team has been picked to finish second in the University Athletic Association in a preseason poll conducted by the league's coaches.
The Eagles received one first-place vote out of the eight cast and rank behind only defending conference champ Washington University, who received seven first-place ballots.
Head coach Jason Zimmerman begins his 11th year at the helm of the program welcoming back 10 veterans, including four players with considerable starting experience, from last year's club that fashioned an overall record of 19-8 and that advanced to the second round of the NCAA DIII Tournament, the school's fifth straight trip to the postseason. Emory finished third in the UAA with a 9-5 ledger.
Senior Adam Gigax, 6-foot-7, is among those back in the fold. Gigax is coming off a banner 2016-17 campaign that saw him lead the team while ranking second among UAA players with an overall scoring average of 18.3 points per game. Named a First Team All-UAA and a D3Hoops.com First Team All-south Region honoree, Gigax rang up 21 double-figure scoring contests last season, and his team-high 80 three-point field goals slotted him 35th in the D-III ranks.
Senior point guard Whitt Rapp is back to direct the Emory attack after doling out a conference-best 8.5 assists per game, with that mark placing him third nationally. Named to the Honorable Mention All-UAA Team, Rapp dished out 10 or more assists on 10 occasions, and his 4.1 assist/turnover ratio was third in all of D-III.
Emory will open the campaign on Wednesday, November 15, when it plays host to Piedmont College in an 8:00 pm start.
UAA Preseason Men's Poll
1. Washington University
2. Emory University
3. University of Chicago
4. University of Rochester
5. New York University
6. Case Western Reserve
7. Carnegie Mellon University
8. Brandeis University