LEWISBURG, PA (AP) -- Bucknell is back atop the Patriot League as the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament starting this week.
Coach Dave Paulsen was honored Monday by league peers as coach of the year for leading the Bison (22-8, 13-1) to their best finish in four seasons. Forward-center Mike Muscala (14.9 points, 7.4 rebounds) was named player of the year, while Bryan Cohen took defensive player of the year honors.
Bucknell will play host to eighth-seeded Army (11-18, 3-11) when Patriot League tourney play begins Wednesday. The Bison will try to avenge their only conference defeat this season, a 90-70 loss at Army on Jan. 29.
Paulsen, in his third year, has a chance to get Bucknell back to the NCAAs for the first time since the halcyon days of the mid-2000s, when the Bison developed a reputation as giant killers under then-coach Pat Flannery. Bucknell upset Kansas in the first round of the 2005 NCAAs, and defeated Arkansas in the NCAAs the following year.
Paulsen took over after Flannery stepped down in the spring of 2008. The team has slowly improved since going 7-23 in Paulsen's first season.
"I didn't know how long it would take," Paulsen said. "If you just keep trying to improve every day, and do the best that you can do, you're going to have a chance to have success."
Bucknell started the year 2-6, including a 77-73 loss vs. Wagner on Nov. 29. It was after that game that the Bison started to pick up the intensity in practice, which has translated to them winning 20 of its final 22.
"They've come in really focused every day," Paulsen said. "I've never had a team practice better more consistently."
Navy's J.J. Avila was named the league's top freshman. The fifth-seeded Midshipmen (11-19, 6-8) travel to No. 4 Lehigh (15-14, 6-8) in the first round.
The other first-round games pit No. 7 Colgate (7-22, 4-10) at No. 2 American (21-8, 11-3), and No. 6 Lafayette (11-18, 6-8) at No. 3 Holy Cross (8-20, 7-7).
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