Stephen F. Austin Named Favorite in Southland Preseason Polls
Southland Conference
2015-16 Men's Basketball Media Guide (PDF) | Preseason All-Conference Release
FRISCO, Texas – Three-time defending Southland Conference regular-season and two-time defending tournament champion Stephen F. Austin has been named the preseason favorite to repeat in a vote by the league’s coaches and sports information directors, the conference office announced Wednesday.
The Lumberjacks are coming off an impressive 29-5 record, including a 17-1 mark in conference play. Stephen F. Austin, which advanced to the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive year, returns four starters including reigning conference player of the year Thomas Walkup. SFA received 12 first-place votes from the coaches for 144 total points while picking up nine first-place nods from the SIDs and 141 total points.
Northwestern State was picked second in each poll with 130 total points from the coaches and 135 points from the SIDs. The Demons received the remaining first-place vote from the coaches and the final four first-place votes from the SIDs. The Demons are led by the duo of Jalan West and Zeek Woodley, who averaged 20.0 points and 22.2 points per game last season, respectively.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi was slotted third followed by Sam Houston State in both polls. The coaches then ranked Lamar fifth followed by UIW and then Southeastern Louisiana. The SIDs voted UIW fifth followed by Lamar and then Southeastern Louisiana.
New Orleans was eighth in the coaches’ poll followed by Houston Baptist in ninth and McNeese State in 10th. The SIDs had McNeese in eighth with HBU in ninth and UNO in 10th. Rounding out both polls were Nicholls (11th), Central Arkansas (12th) and Abilene Christian (13th).
Since Abilene Christian and UIW are in their third year of transition into Division I, they will not be eligible for postseason play until 2017-18.
The 2015-16 season begins Friday, Nov. 13 with conference play starting up Jan. 2. The 2016 Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament will be held March 9-12, at the Merrell Center in Katy, Texas, and will feature an eight-team single-elimination format.
| 2015-16 Men’s Basketball Preseason Polls |
| Coaches’ Poll |
| Place |
Team (first place votes) |
Total |
| 1. |
Stephen F. Austin (12) |
144 |
| 2. |
Northwestern State (1) |
130 |
| 3. |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
124 |
| 4. |
Sam Houston State |
109 |
| 5. |
Lamar |
85 |
| 6. |
UIW |
81 |
| 7. |
Southeastern Louisiana |
70 |
| 8. |
New Orleans |
69 |
| 9. |
Houston Baptist |
61 |
| 10. |
McNeese State |
54 |
| 11. |
Nicholls |
36 |
| 12. |
Central Arkansas |
34 |
| 13. |
Abilene Christian |
17 |
| |
|
|
| SID Poll |
| Place |
Team (first place votes) |
Total |
| 1. |
Stephen F. Austin (9) |
141 |
| 2. |
Northwestern State (4) |
135 |
| 3. |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
116 |
| 4. |
Sam Houston State |
114 |
| 5. |
UIW |
82 |
| 6. |
Lamar |
79 |
| 7. |
Southeastern Louisiana |
69 |
| 8. |
McNeese State |
66 |
| 9. |
Houston Baptist |
65 |
| 10. |
New Orleans |
62 |
| 11. |
Nicholls |
38 |
| 12. |
Central Arkansas |
26 |
| 13. |
Abilene Christian |
21 |