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The Hampden-Sydney Tigers are ranked No. 23 nationally in the D3hoops.com Preseason Top 25. The men’s basketball team earned 118 points in the poll after finishing as the NCAA Division III National Championship Runner-Up last season. H-SC completed 2023-24 with a final overall record of 31-3, a new school record for wins, and won its record 11th ODAC Tournament Championship while playing in a record 16th ODAC Tournament Title contest. It was the Garnet & Grey’s finest season in 25 years (1998-99, National Runner-Up, 29-3), attaining their first 30-win season and only the sixth 25-win season in program history.

Looking at the Top 10, the list includes defending Division III National Champion Trine (IN) University (597) at No. 1, followed by the University of Wisconsin-Platteville (No. 2, 589), John Carroll (OH) University (No. 3, 540), Washington (MO) University (No. 4, 517), Christopher Newport University (No. 5, 502), Trinity (CT) College (No. 6, 462), fellow Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) member Randolph-Macon College (No. 7, 337), Emory (GA) University (No. 8, 333), Calvin (MI) University (No. 9, 332) and Keene State (NH) College (No. 10, 314), while ODAC member Guilford (NC) College is ranked No. 17 (216).

Hampden-Sydney Tigers look to build

H-SC dropped a heartbreaking 69-61 decision to Trine in the 2024 National Championship contest last March 16 at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This season, the Tigers are scheduled to play No. 3 John Carroll, No. 5 Christopher Newport, No. 7 Randolph-Macon, No. 17 Guilford-who the Garnet & Grey defeated 62-57 in the National Semifinals last March 14-and possibly No. 20 Maryville (TN), who is participating in the Hampden-Sydney Tip-Off Tournament on November 22-23, sponsored by Elder, Watkins, Friedman & Allen, P.C.

The Hampden-Sydney Tigers open the 2024-25 campaign on the road at non-conference opponent Swarthmore (PA) College, who is receiving votes in the poll, on Saturday, Nov. 9, at 4 p.m. in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. The Tigers defeated the Garnet 67-46 last December 14, 2023 at S. Douglas Fleet Gymnasium in Kirby Field House. SC finished 21-9 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season.