Gents Picked Fifth In SCAC Preseason Poll
The 2023-24 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference men's basketball preseason poll was announced on Thursday and the Gents were picked to finish fifth.
SUWANEE, Ga. – In exclusive voting by the league's head coaches where three different teams received first-place votes, St. Thomas emerged as the favorite to take home the 2023-24 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference men's basketball crown.
The Celts, who posted a 23-4 record last season which included the program's third-straight SCAC regular season title after notching the first unbeaten conference record (14-0) since the 2007-08 season, earned six of the nine first-place votes cast by league coaches to finish atop the poll with 62 points. Trinity University, coming off back-to-back years of 20 or more wins for the first time since the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons, received two first-place votes and finished second in the poll with 53 total points. Colorado College, which posted its most wins (12) since 2017-18 last year, earned 48 points and was selected third on the preseason poll. Defending SCAC tournament champion, Schreiner University received the final first-place vote and checked in at fourth with 44 points. Centenary College, the only SCAC program to advance to four-straight tournament semifinals, rounds out the top five in fifth with 40 total points.
Southwestern University was the coaches' sixth choice in the preseason rankings with 27 points, and Texas Lutheran University, who had its SCAC tournament streak snapped at nine last year, secured the seventh position with 24 points. Rounding out the coaches' selections were the University of Dallas in eighth (17 points) and Austin College in ninth (9 points).
St. Thomas welcomes back two All-SCAC players led by reigning SCAC Player-of-the-Year and First Team All-SCAC performer junior guard Calvin Williams IV. Williams IV started in all 27 Celts contests a season ago and finished second in the SCAC in points (407), steals (50) and ninth with 63 assists. Joining Williams IV as a returning All-SCAC honoree is sophomore guard Nick Anderson who earned Second-Team and All-Freshman team accolades last season. The dynamic dua of Willams IV and Anderson combined for 25.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.9 steals and 2.8 assists per game last year.
Anthony Medina returns for his ninth season at the helm of the St. Thomas program after earning SCAC Coach-of-the-Year honors for the second time in the last three years. Medina has guided the Celts to a 142-74 (.657) overall mark in his first eight seasons, including a remarkable 53-7 record in SCAC play since the start of the 2019-20 year.
The 2023-24 season begins on Wednesday, November 8, while the SCAC Tournament will be held at the end of February in Shreveport, Louisiana, hosted by Centenary College, and beginning the 23rd.
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2023-24 SCAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll |
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|
1. |
University of St. Thomas (6) |
62 |
|
2. |
Trinity University (2) |
53 |
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3. |
Colorado College |
48 |
|
4. |
Schreiner University (1) |
44 |
|
5. |
Centenary College |
40 |
|
6. |
Southwestern University |
27 |
|
7. |
Texas Lutheran University |
24 |
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8. |
University of Dallas |
17 |
|
9. |
Austin College |
9 |
