By Brian Hoffman
The Roanoke College men’s basketball team will open the 2022-23 season on the road this weekend with two games in Alliance, Ohio.
The Maroons will be participating in the Mount Union Tournament and will open with Maryville of Tennessee on Friday at 5 pm. Host Mount Union will take on Whitworth in the second game and the results will determine Saturday’s pairings.
The host Purple Raiders lost in the Ohio Athletic Conference Championship game last year, but received an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament, where they fell to Stevens. Maryville finished the season 20-4 a year ago but fell in the USA South Quarterfinals to LaGrange. Whitworth claimed their 14th Northwest Conference title last season over Whitman before falling to Trinity (Texas) in the NCAA Tournament first round to finish the season 22-5.
The Old Dominion Athletic Conference preseason coaches poll was announced last week and the conference coaches picked the Maroons second behind Randolph-Macon. The Maroons picked up three first place votes while the Yellowjackets received 10. Guilford was picked third, followed by Virginia Wesleyan and Hampden-Sydney. Coaches were unable to vote for their own team in the poll.
The Maroons will be led by returning all-conference swing man Kasey Draper. Roanoke finished 18-9 last year, falling to Randolph-Macon in the ODAC semifinal.
Roanoke will open the home season on Friday, November 18, with the two-day Frankie Allen Tip-off Tournament.
