MEN’S BASKETBALL: PRESEASON POLL AND AWARDS ANNOUNCED
UT Permian Basin is the favorite in the 2017-18 Lone Star Conference men’s basketball preseason poll announced Wednesday.
The league's preseason polls reflect the opinions of LSC head coaches and sports information directors, plus various media representatives from throughout the region.
UTPB earned the top spot with 19 first-place votes and 269 points after capturing the LSC Championship last season with a 14-4 league record. The Falcons also won the LSC tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Division II postseason for the first time in program history.
West Texas A&M was second with 234 points and five top votes just in front of Tarleton State with 231 points and three first-place votes. Midwestern State was fourth with 168 points and the remaining top nod.
Texas A&M-Kingsville was picked fifth with 150 points to edge Angelo State who was sixth (148). Texas A&M-Commerce (117), Cameron (110), Eastern New Mexico (84), and Western New Mexico (29) rounded out the poll.
UTPB’s Daeshon Francis was the top choice as Preseason Player of the Year receiving 21 of the 28 votes.
Francis, a 6-4 senior guard from Indianapolis, Indiana, earned LSC Player of the Year and D2CCA South Central Region Player of the Year honors after scoring 18.2 points per game with a .559 field goal percentage last season. He scored in double-figures in 30 of 32 games with a season-high 34 points and paced the team with 48 steals and was second in rebounding (6.6 per game) and assists (3.1).
The LSC has 10 teams set for this season and the league race should be as tight as ever. The season begins in early November with LSC teams playing a double round robin league schedule, in which each team plays a home and away contest against each of the other teams to determine the LSC champion.
The LSC champion will be the regular season winner determined by league games, while the postseason tournament winner is designated as LSC Tournament Champion and earns the conference’s automatic qualification. The top eight teams in the final conference standings qualify for the postseason tournament set for March 1-4, 2018, at Dr Pepper Arena in Frisco, Texas.
| MEN’S BASKETBALL | 1st | TOTAL | |
| 1 | UT Permian Basin | 19 | 269 |
| 2 | West Texas A&M | 5 | 234 |
| 3 | Tarleton State | 3 | 231 |
| 4 | Midwestern State | 1 | 168 |
| 5 | Texas A&M-Kingsville | 150 | |
| 6 | Angelo State | 148 | |
| 7 | Texas A&M-Commerce | 117 | |
| 8 | Cameron | 110 | |
| 9 | Eastern New Mexico | 84 | |
| 10 | Western New Mexico | 29 | |
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: PRESEASON POLL AND AWARDS ANNOUNCED
West Texas A&M is the top choice to win the Lone Star Conference title, according to the 2017-18 LSC preseason women’s basketball poll announced Wednesday.
The league's preseason polls reflect the opinions of LSC head coaches and sports information directors, plus various media representatives from throughout the region.
WT earned 11 first-place votes for 301 points after winning the South Central Regional title for the third time in the last four years last season. The Lady Buffs made their eighth Elite Eight appearance with a 26-9 overall record.
Eastern New Mexico, who won a share of the LSC title at 16-4 in league action, was second with seven top votes and 280 points. Tarleton State ranked third as the defending tournament champions received three first-place votes and 270 points.
Angelo State was a close fourth with four top votes and 267 points after claiming a share of the LSC crown last season. Texas A&M-Commerce ranked fifth with the remaining six first-place votes and 260 points.
Texas Woman’s was sixth with 172 points followed by Cameron seventh (145), Texas A&M-Kingsville eighth (121), and Midwestern State ninth (120). UT Permian Basin (63) and Western New Mexico (47) completed the poll.
Tarleton’s Mackenzie Hailey claimed Preseason Player of the Year honors. She was the favorite on 15 of the 31 ballots cast.
Hailey, a sophomore forward from Burleson, Texas, averaged 16.1 points and 8.4 rebounds to earn LSC Newcomer of the Year and second-team All-LSC acclaim. The LSC tournament MVP scored in double digits in 27 games, including eight 20-point scoring efforts.
The LSC has 11 teams set for this season and the competition should be as competitive as ever. The season begins in early November with LSC teams playing a double round robin league schedule, in which each team plays a home and away contest against each of the other teams to determine the LSC champion.
The LSC champion will be the regular season winner determined by league games, while the postseason tournament winner is designated as LSC Tournament Champion and earns the conference’s automatic qualification. The top eight teams in the final conference standings qualify for the postseason tournament set for March 1-4, 2018, at Dr Pepper Arena in Frisco, Texas.
| WOMEN’S BASKETBALL | 1st | TOTAL | |
| 1 | West Texas A&M | 11 | 301 |
| 2 | Eastern New Mexico | 7 | 280 |
| 3 | Tarleton State | 3 | 270 |
| 4 | Angelo State | 4 | 267 |
| 5 | Texas A&M-Commerce | 6 | 260 |
| 6 | Texas Woman's | 172 | |
| 7 | Cameron | 145 | |
| 8 | Texas A&M-Kingsville | 121 | |
| 9 | Midwestern State | 120 | |
| 10 | UT Permian Basin | 63 | |
| 11 | Western New Mexico | 47 | |
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