LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) office announced on Wednesday that the Corban University men's basketball team had been slated sixth in the 2015-16 CCC Preseason Coaches' Poll after a vote by the head coaches. Corban also received one first-place vote in the poll.

Warrior head men's basketball coach Steve Masten talked about the upcoming campaign in a season-preview video.

To watch the full video, click the 'Play Button' on the story photo above.

"Last year we were picked to finish ninth in the conference and we had a strong second half of league and finished in sixth place," said Masten. "We expect to exceed the sixth-place prediction this season too. That being said, our conference is one of, if not the best conference in the country with a lot of very good teams and coaches. We'll have to be really good this season to get into the top five at the end of the year."

Following a 15-13 campaign in 2014-15 and an 8-10 mark in CCC play, the Warriors will look to improve upon that mark in 2015-16. Corban was 8-6 at home last year, while recording a .500 record of 7-7 on the road.

The Warriors return CCC First-Team All-Conference honoree, senior forward Cyrus Ward (Gig Harbor, Wash.), and Ward looks primed for a monster senior season after a career-best junior campaign last year. Coming off of a 15.2 points-per-game average in addition to grabbing 8.9 boards-per-game, Ward will look to improve upon those marks as well as his team-best 56.7% shooting percentage.

Corban also brings back sophomore guard AJ Monterossi (Beaverton, Ore.), as Monterossi showed that he has the potential to be the best point guard in the CCC, averaging 10.1 points-per-game last year as a rookie while dishing out four assists per game.

The CCC will have a new look to it in the 2015-16 season with the departure of Concordia University to the NCAA Division II and the additions of Multnomah University and Walla Walla University. In what was already one of the best conferences in the country, these teams will undoubtedly add to the conference and provide further challenges each and every weekend for the Warriors.

Corban opens up the 2015-16 season vs. Cal Maritime on Saturday November 7. The game will be played at The Hoop in Salem due to conflicts with other fall-sport athletic events on campus at Corban that evening. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

For a complete look at the 2015-16 schedule, click here.

2015-16 CCC Preseason Coaches' Poll

First place votes in parentheses
 

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