Tarleton State and Midwestern State are predicted to finish at the top according to the 2014-15 Lone Star Conference men’s basketball preseason poll announced Wednesday.
The league's preseason polls reflect the opinions of LSC head coaches and sports information directors, plus various media representatives from throughout the region.
TSU claimed the top spot with 12 first-place votes and 156 points in a close vote over MSU, who received five first-place nods and 155 points. The Texans and Mustangs shared the LSC title with identical 12-2 records last season, and for the third straight year met in the finals of the LSC Championship. TSU edged MSU 71-65 to defend its tournament title.
Angelo State was third with 134 points and one top vote, Texas A&M-Commerce fourth (117 and three first-place nods), and Cameron fifth (66). Texas A&M- Kingsville (59), Eastern New Mexico (57 and one top vote) and West Texas A&M (48) rounded out the poll.
Additionally, MSU’s Xavier Blackburn was named Preseason Player of the Year. Blackburn was the top choice on six of the 22 ballots cast. ASU’s Chris Jones and A&M-C’s LaDon Carnegie received four votes apiece, while TSU’s Davene Carter collected three and five others earned one vote each.
Blackburn, a 6-4, senior forward from Verdunville, La., earned second-team All-LSC honors and was named to the league's all-defensive squad after helping the Mustangs to a sixth consecutive trip to the NCAA Division II playoffs while claiming a third consecutive LSC championship and fifth in the last six seasons. He poured in 11.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game while shooting 48 percent from the field in 2013-14.
The LSC has eight teams set for this season and the league race should be as tight as ever. The season begins November 14 with LSC teams playing a double round robin league schedule, in which each team plays a home and away contest against each of the other teams to determine the LSC champion.
The LSC champion will be the regular season winner determined by league games, while the postseason tournament winner is designated as LSC Tournament Champion and earns the conference’s automatic qualification. The top eight teams in the final conference standings qualify for the postseason tournament set for March 4-7 in Allen, Texas.
|
MEN’S BASKETBALL |
1st |
TOTAL |
|
1 |
Tarleton State |
12 |
156 |
|
2 |
Midwestern State |
5 |
155 |
|
3 |
Angelo State |
1 |
134 |
|
4 |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
3 |
117 |
|
5 |
Cameron |
|
66 |
|
6 |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
|
59 |
|
7 |
Eastern New Mexico |
1 |
57 |
|
8 |
West Texas A&M |
|
48 |