Midwestern State topped the 2016-17 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.
MSU earned the top spot with 12 first-place votes and 253 points after capturing the LSC Championship last season with a 10-4 league record. The Mustangs also won the LSC tournament title and advanced to the NCAA postseason for the 11th time in program history.
Tarleton State was second with 240 points and seven top votes just in front of Angelo State with 239 points and eight first-place votes. West Texas A&M was fourth with 211 points and the remaining top nod.
Texas A&M-Commerce was picked fifth with 152 points with Texas A&M-Kingsville sixth (120), and Cameron seventh (108). Eastern New Mexico (93), UT Permian Basin (88) and Western New Mexico (36) rounded out the poll.
VIDEOS: 2016-17 LSC Men's Basketball Online Preseason Media Day
WT’s David Chavlovich was a nearly unanimous selection as Preseason Player of the Year.
Chavlovich, a 5-11 junior guard from Arlington, Texas, led the LSC in scoring (20.5) last season. He set a new Buffs single-season record in three-point field goals made (111) and three-point field goals attempted (287) while joining the 1,000 Point Club and being named the LSC Player of the Year.
The LSC has 10 teams set for this season and the league race should be as competitive as ever. The season begins in early November 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 2-5 in Allen, Texas.
| Rank |
Team |
1st |
Total |
| 1 |
Midwestern State |
12 |
253 |
| 2 |
Tarleton State |
7 |
240 |
| 3 |
Angelo State |
8 |
239 |
| 4 |
West Texas A&M |
1 |
211 |
| 5 |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
|
152 |
| 6 |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
|
120 |
| 7 |
Cameron |
|
108 |
| 8 |
Eastern New Mexico |
|
93 |
| 9 |
UT Permian Basin |
|
88 |
| 10 |
Western New Mexico |
|
36 |