It's A March Toward 1,000 For Philly U's Magee

By Matt Leon

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- Another college basketball season is poised to get underway this weekend. One of the stories to keep an eye on on the local scene is at Division II Philadelphia University.

Herb Magee, currently the winningest men's coach in NCAA history, enters the 2014-15 season with 985 wins (he has two wins more than Duke's Mike Krzyzewski), meaning he is just 15 short of the incredible milestone of 1,000 victories as a head coach. Every one of those wins have come at his alma mater Philadelphia University.

Now approaching 1,000 wins is pretty incredible stuff, but the Naismith Hall of Famer Magee takes it in stride.

"It doesn't really mean a whole lot," Magee tells KYW Newsradio. "I mean when it happens, when it's over, yeah it will. My ego's been satisfied a long time ago as far as personal records and things like that. So it will be nice, it will be nice for the team because it will be covered nationally on all the radio and television stations and newspapers."

Listen to Herb Magee with KYW's Matt Leon

The Rams are ranked in the Division II preseason polls - The Sporting News has them 8th - and they are the preseason pick to win the CACC South division.

"We have guys coming back from a good team (25-7)," Magee says. "Four starters and the top sub."

Their top returning scorer is 6-11 junior forward Peter Alexis, who averaged 18.2 pioints and 9.5 rebounds a game last season.

The Rams turned some heads in the preseason by beating Division I James Madison and leading Division I Pittsburgh at the half, before eventually losing by 11. They also lost to La Salle.

"You play those games because you're playing great competition in a regular game setting with officials and uniforms and everything's the same," Magee says. "It's good for the players and I think it's good for the program, especially, you win one and we had a shot at Pitt. Not a great shot, but we had a shot. That game ended up 11, but with like three to go, it was like a 4 or 5 point game. Then (Monday) night, La Salle jumped us pretty good and stayed on top of us."

So now the countdown is on towards win number 1,000 and Magee says his team will get tested right out of the gate.

"Our problem is, we're opening up with one of the better teams, if not the best team we'll play all year long in Bentley up in Boston," Magee says. "Tough game and then we come right back the next day and play Merrimack, another tough game. So the schedule's tough, but we should have the experience to be able to take care of it. Not to beat everybody, but to have a good season."

Philadelphia University opens with that game against Bentley on Friday night at 8:00 pm.

You can follow Matt on twitter @mattleonkyw.

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