We’re just hours away from the season tip-off for most of the Patriot League. Four teams start on the road tonight, with Colgate and Army hosting their season openers. Bucknell kicks off the season tomorrow night at Albany, and Holy Cross opens at home Sunday. Here is a little preview of the teams that Patriot League squads will be facing tonight as the season opens up.

You’ve read the in-depth team previews. Now here’s our big picture look at the league with our preseason Patriot League awards.

There’s no need to rehash Bucknell’s spectacular 2005-06 season, nor the big numbers they to graduation. Bison backups Jason Vegotsky and Donald Brown have the misfortune of trying to replace Kevin Bettencourt and Charles Lee, with a lot of pressure to repeat at the top of the league. However, Bucknell is still led by a 6’10” anchor in the middle and a reliable point guard, and still has coach Pat Flannery’s stifling defensive schemes.

It seems like Holy Cross is never in “win now” mode. While Bucknell, American and Lehigh are eager to succeed this year before losing a slew of seniors, Holy Cross is set to start a junior and two sophomores, with the entire bench having at least one more year of eligibility. However, this is the senior year for super scorer Keith Simmons and point guard Torey Thomas, and with the graduation losses of Charles Lee and Kevin Bettencourt at Bucknell, Crusader fans think this is the year they return to the Big Dance. Holy Cross can do so if they can keep Simmons and other key players on the court all year.

American fans must feel like their team is running in reverse. From winning the Patriot League five years ago, to two second-place finishes, to a third-place finish, and last year dropping to fourth place, the Eagles have stepped back a bit each year since joining the league. However, after what could reasonably be considered a rebuilding year, American returns its top 12 scorers from last year, led by a strong senior class and a fast-developing group of sophomores. There’s no doubt the Eagles will be a better team this year. The question is, are they improved enough to jump back into the mix at the top of the league?