Preseason Coaches Poll

[chrisfisher]

UNT tied with ULAR for first place in the west. MUTS picked to win the East. Details are here.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

UNT tied with ULAR for first place in the west. MUTS picked to win the East. Details are here.

Awesome, sounds like we will have a good season this year.

[CMJ]

The West appears as if it is going to be ultra competitive like usual. Look at the vote totals. We didn't recieve as many first place votes, but tied UALR for most overall and ULL was only 1 point back. It appears almost everyone voted for some combo of those schools 1-3.

Likewise the East is usually dominated by one or two schools, and it appears it will be that way again(only not with the usual suspects of USA or WKU - but MTSU).

Edited October 14, 2008 by CMJ

[Buford_Julep]

My picks (not guaranteed):

EAST

1 USA

2 MTSU

3 FAU

4 WKU

5 FIU

6 Troy

WEST

1 UNT

2 Louisiana U

3 UALR

4 La-Monroe

5 Ark St

6 UNO

7 Denver

USA returns the best set of bigs in the conference. They lose two very good players in Bennett and Merritt, but they may have the replacements. Third-team All-Conference guard Domonic Tilford will move to pg. top subs BJ Ford and Daniel Hayles return. Hayles started 20 games for Auburn in 2004-05 and 2005-06. Juco newcomer LaShun Watson averaged 15.7 points to lead team in scoring in recent Canadian tour. Dallas Pinkston freshman Demarius Jones averaged 11 on the same tour. I think USA is the team to beat.

MTSU returns the whole team and is the consensus favorite. MTSU got hot right at the end of the season, but was not that impressive overall (2007-08 schedule and results). MTSU basketball also has a history of underachieving. MTSU will be good, but not nnecessarily the best.

WKU just loses too much. Three starters and the best rebounder off the bench have graduated. No Sun Belt team can replace a first-round draft choice like Courtney Lee. Brazleton was an outstanding player also. WKU also took a big hit when some of their recruits jumped ship after the coach signed with South Carolina.

Edited October 14, 2008 by Buford_Julep

[Censored by Laurie]

My picks (not guaranteed):

EAST

1 USA

2 MTSU

3 FAU

4 WKU

5 FIU

6 Troy

WEST

1 UNT

2 Louisiana U

3 UALR

4 La-Monroe

5 Ark St

6 UNO

7 Denver

USA returns the best set of bigs in the conference. They lose two very good players in Bennett and Merritt, but they may have the replacements. Third-team All-Conference guard Domonic Tilford will move to pg. top subs BJ Ford and Daniel Hayles return. Hayles started 20 games for Auburn in 2004-05 and 2005-06. Juco newcomer LaShun Watson averaged 15.7 points to lead team in scoring in recent Canadian tour. Dallas Pinkston freshman Demarius Jones averaged 11 on the same tour. I think USA is the team to beat.

MTSU returns the whole team and is the consensus favorite. MTSU got hot right at the end of the season, but was not that impressive overall (2007-08 schedule and results). MTSU basketball also has a history of underachieving. MTSU will be good, but not nnecessarily the best.

WKU just loses too much. Three starters and the best rebounder off the bench have graduated. No Sun Belt team can replace a first-round draft choice like Courtney Lee. Brazleton was an outstanding player also. WKU also took a big hit when some of their recruits jumped ship after the coach signed with South Carolina.

Interesting...but if you want to talk about under-achieving your recent conversation has to start with USA...they had to hang on to beat UNO in the conference quarters, then losing to MTSU in the semis, on their home floor...that was a pretty big collapse. It isn't just the returning guys that make me believe that MTSU will win the East, and probably conference, but they've added 4 very good players as well, and they get back two other guys, one (Calvin Oneill) who was injured in the first game last season, and another (Antwann Boyd) who was a non-qualifier last year. They are really scary.

I submitted a SBC preview blog yesterday so I'm hoping that gets posted sometime relatively soon.

[Buford_Julep]

Interesting...but if you want to talk about under-achieving your recent conversation has to start with USA

South Alabama won 26 games last season.

...they had to hang on to beat UNO in the conference quarters, then losing to MTSU in the semis, on their home floor...that was a pretty big collapse.

New Orleans had a competitive team last season. At least USA beat UNO which was more than MTSU did. UNO defeated MTSU 82-75 in Murfreesboro. MTSU had trouble advancing to the Sun Belt semi-finals with a couple of close games against bottom-feeders ULM and Troy. MTSU defeated La-Monroe 74-69 in Murfreesboro and Troy 65-59 in Mobile.

It isn't just the returning guys that make me believe that MTSU will win the East, and probably conference, but they've added 4 very good players as well, and they get back two other guys, one (Calvin Oneill) who was injured in the first game last season, and another (Antwann Boyd) who was a non-qualifier last year. They are really scary.

I agree. MTSU should be much better than last season. But, that has been the expectations many times over the years. MTSU has brought in many impressive players that disappointed or never suited up. Any MTSU fans care to comment?

I submitted a SBC preview blog yesterday so I'm hoping that gets posted sometime relatively soon.

I am looking forward to seeing it and I appreciate the work you put into it.

[chrisfisher]

Finally, some genuine spirited 2008 Men's basketball talk and debate!! I thought it would never start! Let's keeping it going!

[untgeorge]

Hard to say USA has the best bigs when MTSU has Yates and Hudson.

[KAjunRaider]

Well, we did have the #1 non-conference schedule in the nation last season, and we had one of our top players go down in the first game last year. Our schemes revolved around this injured player, so it took quite a while to adjust. I do agree that the lopsided loss to TN was embarrassing.

If we can stay healthy, and not have any defections, we "should" be lock for 20 wins this year.

I expect the game at South Alabama to be a tough one, and any games with 7-footers (or bigtime true centers) we may struggle in (see FIU's center). But expectations are high in Murfreesboro right nnow, and that is a good thing.

We were a basketball school not so long ago.

With our football team struggling, I foresee a lot of bandwagonners coming aboard to see our team.

It is rare that a team has "seven" starters returning--Boyd, Kanaskie, Yates, Hudson, O'Neil, Nigel Johnson, and "Duna" Green. Watch out for newcomer Eric Allen. He is the real deal, and will be in the starting lineup. I worry about having enough minutes to go 'round. I guess that's a good thing.

Best of luck in the Wild West this season !!

South Alabama won 26 games last season.

New Orleans had a competitive team last season. At least USA beat UNO which was more than MTSU did. UNO defeated MTSU 82-75 in Murfreesboro. MTSU had trouble advancing to the Sun Belt semi-finals with a couple of close games against bottom-feeders ULM and Troy. MTSU defeated La-Monroe 74-69 in Murfreesboro and Troy 65-59 in Mobile.

I agree. MTSU should be much better than last season. But, that has been the expectations many times over the years. MTSU has brought in many impressive players that disappointed or never suited up. Any MTSU fans care to comment?

[CMJ]

Thanks for the Blue Raider perspective. Wish we didn't have yall twice this year.

[KRAM1]

Want to meet and greet Johnny and Shanice? Then come on out and enjoy an OCT. 30th Denton Chapter Alumni "gathering" at the Exes/Alumni Center beginning at 6:30PM. Both Johnny and Shanice will be on hand to talk about the fast approaching seasons and there will be drinks and snacks.....should be a fun Halloween Eve at the Exes center on the 30th. COME ON DOWN!!!!!