SELINSGROVE, PA – The Susquehanna University men's basketball team has been picked to finish sixth in the Commonwealth Conference preseason poll, as voted upon by the league's eight head coaches and released Tuesday.

The Crusaders return 11 letterwinners from last year's squad, which finished 10-15 overall and tied for fifth in the Commonwealth Conference with a 6-8 record for head coach Frank Marcinek, who begins his 18 th season with a 229-197 record.

Widener received seven of eight first-place votes and earned the top spot in the preseason poll with 56 points, followed by Lebanon Valley (46 points, 1 first-place vote), Albright (41 points), defending champion Messiah (39 points), Elizabethtown (32 points), Susquehanna (31 points), Juniata (23 points) and Moravian (22 points).

The Crusaders open their 2006-07 season on Friday night at 8:00 p.m. hosting Penn College in the opening round of the Pepsi/Weis Markets Tip-Off Tournament at O.W. Houts Gymnasium.