Hounds seventh, Zias eighth in LSC preseason poll

Freedom New Mexico

RICHARDSON, Texas — Eastern New Mexico University’s men were picked for seventh place and the women for eighth this season in the Lone Star Conference South preseason basketball polls, released by the conference office.

Midwestern State, the defending South champion and coming off a 31-3 season, is favored to win its fourth men’s championship in the last five years, receiving 159 points and 12 of the 21 first-place votes from coaches, media and sports information personnel.

The preseason player of the year is Angelo State guard LaMarshall Corbett, a 6-foot-3 senior guard who easily led the LSC in scoring last season at 23.4 points per game. He posted the third-highest point total in school history (656) and was only the second Rams player to finish a season above 90 percent at the free throw line.

Despite its spot in the poll, the Greyhounds (10-16, 5-7 South last season) received one first-place vote. Tarleton State had five first-place votes and was second with 134 points, while Angelo State got the other three votes and finished third with 127.

Three-time defending North champion Central Oklahoma was a unanimous pick to repeat with all 20 votes. The Bronchos, who made the NCAA Division II tournament last season for the fifth time in six years, are led by 6-4 senior guard Dauntae Williams, second to Corbett in the LSC in scoring (19.9).

On the women’s side, West Texas A&M is favored to win a fourth consecutive South Division title, returning three starters from a 30-4 squad which made it to the Division II regionals for a seventh consecutive season.

WT got 15 of 23 first-place votes and finished with 175 points to 166 points and seven first-place votes for Tarleton State and 107 and one for Angelo State. Lady Buffs senior guard Joni Unruh was tabbed the division’s preseason player of the year.

ENMU finished with 63 points, six behind seventh-place Midwestern State.

Defending champion Northeastern State, which won a school-record 28 games last season, was picked to win the North Division again with 17 of 22 first-place votes and 170 points. Central Oklahoma, which received the other five first-place votes, was second with 151 points and had the division’s preseason player of the year in senior forward Ashley Beckley.

Regular-season play is scheduled to begin on Nov. 12.

LSC POLLS

Men

South Division

Team (1st-pl. votes)