FRISCO ? The UTSA men’s basketball team has been picked to finish fifth in the Southland Conference West Division by both the league’s head coaches and sports information directors polls, the league office announced Monday.
The Roadrunners collected 29 points from the SIDs and 27 from the coaches, ahead of Texas State, which was picked to finish sixth with 20 and 18 points, respectively. Sam Houston State was the preseason favorite to win the West, followed by defending champion Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, UT Arlington and Stephen F. Austin.
Northwestern State and Lamar were picked 1-2 by the SIDs in the East Division, while the head coaches had those two squads flip-flopped. McNeese State, Southeastern Louisiana, Nicholls and Central Arkansas rounded out the SIDs’ East Division selections, with Central Arkansas earning fifth place ahead of Nicholls in the coaches’ poll.
Second-year head coach Brooks Thompson welcomes back five letterwinners ? including four starters ? from last season’s 7-22 squad. Seniors Isaiah Allen, Andrew Francis, Melvin Smith and Keith Spencer and sophomore Dezon Otis join a group of 10 newcomers on this year’s team. Smith, a 6-3 guard from Covington, Tenn., led UTSA in scoring last season at 12.9 points per game, while Allen, a 6-3 guard from Portland, Ore., and Francis, a 6-8 forward from Houston, pitched in 10.4 and 10.3 points per game, respectively. Spencer, a 6-8 forward from San Diego, Calif., led the Roadrunners in rebounding with 7.1 boards per contest.
A promising group of new players includes junior transfers Antoine Dade (6-8, F/C, Orlando, Fla.), Travis Gabbidon (6-7, F, Phoenix, Ariz.), Orrin Greer (6-3, G, Monroe, La.), Omar Johnson (5-7, G, Philadelphia, Pa.) and Joey Shank (6-3, G, Folsom, Calif.) and freshmen E.B. Davis (6-4, G/F, Chicago, Ill.), Cody Dotson-Lara (6-1, G, San Antonio), Devin Gibson (6-0, G, Houston), JohnMark Ludwick (6-7, F, San Antonio) and Russ Permenter (6-9, F/C, Temple).
UTSA opens the exhibition season against Mary-Hardin Baylor at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3. The Roadrunners host Hardin-Simmons in the regular season opener at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 9.
2007-08 Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason Polls
Head Coaches
West Division
Team (1st place votes) Pts
1. Sam Houston State (8), 63
2. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (1), 50
3. Texas-Arlington (2), 47
4. Stephen F. Austin (1), 40
5. UTSA, 27
6. Texas State, 18
East Division
Team (1st place votes) Points
1. Lamar (6), 61
2. Northwestern State (5), 59
3. McNeese State (1), 48
4. Southeastern Louisiana, 32
5. Central Arkansas, 25
6. Nicholls State, 21
Sports Information Directors
West Division
Team (1st place votes) Points
1. Sam Houston State (6), 60
2. A&M-Corpus Christi (4), 49
3. Stephen F. Austin (1), 44
3. Texas-Arlington (1), 44
5. UTSA, 29
6. Texas State, 20
East Division
Team (1st place votes) Points
1. Northwestern State (5), 58
2. Lamar (5), 56
3. McNeese State (2), 50
4. Southeastern Louisiana, 36
5. Nicholls State, 26
6. Central Arkansas, 19
