LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Bellarmine University men's basketball team garnered a No. 3 ranking in the Basketball Times' preseason top 20, and junior forward
Adam Eberhard was recognized by the publication as a preseason All-American.
The latest impressive projection for Bellarmine comes after the Knights were rated No. 4 by Street & Smith's and No. 6 by DII Bulletin in those outlets' preseason rankings. Bellarmine went 32-4 last season and earned its fourth berth in the Final Four in seven years. The Knights also won the Great Lakes Valley Conference regular-season and Tournament championships.
Northwest Missouri State, the reigning national champion, was chosen as the preseason No. 1 by Basketball Times. Queens of Charlotte directly preceded Bellarmine at No. 2, while Indiana (Pa.) followed the third-ranked Knights at No. 4 and Texas-Permian Basin rounded out the top 5.
Indianapolis, at No. 15, joined Bellarmine from the GLVC. Ferris State, at No. 7, and Findlay, at No. 17, are colleagues of the Knights in the Midwest Region. Bellarmine defeated Findlay in the NCAA Midwest Region finals (or Sweet 16) while Ferris State advanced to the region semifinals.
Eberhard was one of 24 student-athletes tabbed as a preseason All-American by the Basketball Times, his third such honor after being distinguished by Street & Smith's and DII Bulletin. Last season, the native of Evansville, Indiana, led Bellarmine in scoring (17.0), rebounding (7.6) and assists (4.0). Eberhard earned honorable-mention All-America notice from DII Bulletin and was a first-team All-GLVC and All-Midwest Region selection. He was named MVP of the GLVC Tournament.
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Basketball Times NCAA Division II Preseason Top 20
1. Northwest Missouri State (35-1)
2. Queens of Charlotte, N.C. (30-4)
3. Bellarmine, Ky. (32-4)
4. Indiana, Pa. (28-4)
5. Texas-Permian Basin (26-6)
6. Lincoln Memorial, Tenn. (30-6)
7. Ferris State, Mich. (28-5)
8. St. Thomas Aquinas, N.Y. (28-6)
9. California Baptist (26-5)
10. Arkansas Tech (21-8)
11. Barry, Fla. (23-7)
12. West Liberty State, W. Va. (28-4)
13. Chico State, Calif. (26-8)
14. Shippensburg, Pa. (27-4)
15. Indianapolis, Ind. (16-12)
16. Western Washington (25-6)
17. Findlay, Ohio (25-7)
18. Fairmont State. W. Va. (34-3)
19. Ark.-Fort Smith (23-11)
20. Merrimack, Mass. (19-12)
Basketball Times NCAA Division II Preseason All-Americans
NAME, SCHOOL, HT., YEAR
Jalin Alexander, Queens of Charlotte (N.C.), 6-3, Sr.
David Chavlovich, West Texas A&M, 5-11, Jr.
Charles Clark, Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 6-3, Sr.
Wendell Davis, Ashland (Oh.), 6-6, Sr.
Gage Davis, St. Cloud State (Minn.), 6-4, Jr.
Jacob Diaz, Indiana (Pa.), 6-9, Jr.
Kalidou Diouf, Cal Baptist, 6-9, Sr.
Adam Eberhard, Bellarmine (Ky.), 6-8, Jr.
Daeshon Francis, Permian Basin (Tex.), 6-4, Sr.
Elvar Fridriksson, Barry (Fla.), 6-0, Sr.
Zach Hankins, Ferris State (Mich.), 6-10, Jr.
Warren Jackson, San Francisco State (Calif.), 6-0, Sr.
Martyce Kimbrough, Findlay (Oh.), 6-1, Sr.
Tre Lansman, Neb.-Kearney, 6-7, Sr.
Kendale McCullum, Wis.-Parkside, 6-1, Sr.
Dan Monteroso, West Liberty (W. Va.), 6-3, Sr.
Dorian Pinson, Lincoln-Memorial (Tenn.), 6-5, Sr.
Justin Pitts, NW Missouri State, 5-9, Jr.
Justin Reyes, St. Thomas Aquinas (N.Y.), 6-4, Jr.
Brady Skeens, Washburn (Kan.), 6-7, Sr.
Dustin Sleva, Shippensburg (Pa.), 6-8, Sr.
Jordan Spencer, Augustana (S.D.), 6-2, Sr.
Alex Stein, Southern Indiana, 6-3, Jr.
Will Vorhees, Notre Dame (Oh.), 6-8, Sr.
