Patriot League outlook

1. Holy Cross

2. Lafayette - The Leopards will return four starters, including all-league senior Gs Winston Davis (16.3 ppg) and Justin DeBerry (13.8 ppg), who ranked second and seventh in the league in scoring. Seniors Rob Dill and Mike Farrell will be back to bolster the frontcourt.

3. Colgate - The Raiders will have a strong inside-out senior combination in 6-8 F Howard Blue, a preseason all-league first-teamer who returns as the league's only 1,000-point scorer (1,019), and senior 6-2 guard Mark Linebaugh, who is closing in on the mark with 886 career points.

4. American - Despite the loss of a pair of senior guards from last year's 16-14 team, the Eagles return senior G Andres Rodriguez and a deep frontcourt led by Fs Jernavis Draughn (8.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg) and Matej Cresnik (7.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg).

5. Lehigh - Senior G Ra Tiah (8.2 ppg) is the lone holdover from last year's 16-12 squad that was regarded as the most improved in the league. Mitch Gilfillan (4.4 ppg), an All-Rookie Team selection last year, also returns.

6. Bucknell - Peabody's Kevin Bettencourt, the league's Rookie of the Year (11.1 ppg), headlines a group of 11 letter-winners from last year's 14-15 team. Senior Gs Matt Quinn, Chris Rodgers and junior F Chris Niesz averaged a combined 15 ppg last year.

7. Navy - Don DeVoe, who got his 500th career victory in the 2002-03 opener, will face a difficult challenge in replacing all five starters from last year's 8-20 team. Sophomore G David Hooper, an All-Rookie Team selection, ranks as the team's leading returning scorer (5.6 ppg).

8. Army - The Cadets have nowhere to go but up after going winless (0-14) in league play. Jim Crews, whose next victory will be the 300th of his career, returns a strong nucleus of three seniors, led by 6-3 G Sean O'Keefe (9.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg).

MICHAEL VEGA