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By STEVE SEMBRAT; Times Leader Staff Writer
Thursday, November 12, 1992     Page: 7B QUICK WORDS: COLLEGE BASKETBALL

WILKES-BARRE — This season, the Susquehanna University men’s basketball
team won’t sneak up on anybody, and coach Frank Marcinek knows it.
   
That fact was obvious during Wednesday’s media day for the Northern
Division of the Middle Atlantic Conference. The Crusaders were tabbed as one
of the top teams in the league’s preseason coaches poll, which was voted on
just before a luncheon at the Holiday Inn.
    “Last year, we were pretty much an unknown quantity,” said Marcinek, whose
Crusaders pulled a major surprise in March by winning the MAC North playoffs.
“People would play us and I think they’d take us for granted.
   
“I don’t think that’s going to happen this year, which may be a truer test
of how good we really are. We need to be more ready to play every given
night.”
   
Especially in the rugged MAC Northwest.
   
Despite the fact that Susquehanna is the defending MAC North champ and has
four starters back, the Crusaders were picked to finish second in their
section.
   
“The last few years, I thought the other side was stronger,” said
Susquehanna senior forward Jim Mikolaichik, a Coughlin graduate from
Wilkes-Barre. “This year our section is stronger. Albright is very good,
they’ve got a lot of returning people, and so does E-Town. We’re looking for a
very competitive season.”
   
Elizabethtown was the coaches’ pick to win the Northwest, followed by
Susquehanna and Albright. Rounding out the sectional poll are Juniata, Messiah
and Lycoming.
   
The pick to win the MAC Northeast, as usual, is Scranton. The Royals are a
clear favorite over the other five teams in the division. Following in the
poll were FDU-Madison, Wilkes, King’s, Drew and Delaware Valley. All have
inexperienced squads, while Scranton has a strong nucleus of three returning
starters.
   
King’s, for instance, has just three returning lettermen and one starter.
Coach Ken Atkins expects the Monarchs to struggle early and then gel toward
the end of the season.
   
Wilkes, under first-year coach Jerry Rickrode, received a first-place vote
in the poll and is expected by some to be a surprise in the league. Rickrode,
though, cautioned things might be rugged at first as the Colonels get used to
his way of doing things.
   
Scranton was also picked to win the MAC North playoffs. Interestingly,
while picked to finish second in its division, Susquehanna was the second pick
of the coaches to win the MAC North playoffs, finishing one vote behind the
Royals.
   
“We have a lot of returning people who have seen a lot of time,”
Mikolaichik said. “I feel that is going to benefit us more than anybody in the
league.
   
“Last year, we didn’t set our sights so high. Since we did so well and with
the players we have back, we hope to do just as well.”
   
Mikolaichik, a returning MAC Northwest All-Star, is key to those hopes.
   
“Jim, through the first 10 games, has been our best player,” Marcinek said.
“Jim is the type of guy who doesn’t have to be a great scorer.
   
“Jim averaged 10-plus points a game last year. He was our best rebounder.
He was our best defensive player. He was our best passer. He does all the
things that most don’t notice. He is a really, really important part of our
team.
   
There are some players you don’t want to take out of the game. Jim’s a guy
I don’t want to have out of the game very much.”
   
Susquehanna has been picked as high as 15th in some preseason polls, which
has raised excitement about the prospect of a return trip to the NCAA Division
III playoffs.
   
“We’re expecting more from ourselves,” Mikolaichik said. “We’re ranked
early, which is nice. Sometimes it’s the kiss of death, but it’s nice to be
recognized. Hopefully we’ll live up to it. We’ve set some lofty goals for
ourselves.”
   
The season gets under way next Friday when most teams are involved in
tournaments.
   
TRIMMED HERE
   
Note: Complete previews of the three local teams in the MAC — King’s,
Wilkes and Scranton — will appear at a later date.