LOCK HAVEN, Pa.- The Mercyhurst men's basketball team has been picked to finish fourth in the 2011-12 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division preseason coaches' poll. Luis Leao was chosen to the preseason all-conference team.
 
Defending PSAC champion Indiana (Pa.) was selected to finish first, with California (Pa.) chosen second. Gannon was chosen third, with Mercyhurst fourth. Slippery Rock, Clarion, Edinboro, and Lock Haven round out the division. IUP garnered six first-place votes, while Cal and Gannon each received one.
 
Leao was voted to the all-PSAC team, which features six players. IUP earned two spots, as Julian Sanders and Ashton Smith were named. Stephen Battle (Gannon), Steven Swiech (Cal), and Bud Teer (Clarion) were also selected.
 
Leao, making his debut as a redshirt freshman in 2010-11, averaged 17.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. He shot 52 percent from the field and over 80 percent from the free throw line. The Brusque, Brazil, native is recovering from an injury and his return date is unknown.
 
Coach Gary Manchel's squad went 20-7 last season, including an 11-3 mark in the West. The Lakers lost seniors Heiden Ratner and Shelton Jackson, but return Leao and Jamal Turner, who led the league in assists last year.
 
The 2011-12 season marks the first campaign with full crossovers for the PSAC. Hurst will have just four games against non-PSAC foes. It will take on all eight members of the Eastern Division before closing with 14 West matches (each of the seven teams twice) to end the regular season.
 
The Lakers open the season hosting Urbana on November 12. The contest is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.

For the complete preseason release, click here.