Seahawks Picked as Men's Basketball Preseason Favorites
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Sun Conference office announced the 2014-15 Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll on Wednesday afternoon with the Northwood Seahawks the top choice to claim the regular season crown. The poll was voted upon by the league's men's basketball coaches.
Rollie Massimino's squad finished the 2013-14 season tied for second in the league standings, but swept through the conference tournament to capture the program's second-ever league tournament title. Northwood went 14-4 in league action a year ago and 27-7 overall, advancing to the NAIA II National Tournament for the eighth consecutive season.
The Seahawks received 68 total points and five first-place votes to earn top honors in the poll. 2013-14 Sun Conference Player of the Year and first team NAIA All-American Chris Solomon returns to a Northwood lineup along with first team All-TSC selection Fred Mattison.
NU opens the season with a trio of NCAA I exhibition contests against Iowa (Nov. 2), Villanova (Nov. 4) and Wichita State (Nov. 8) before taking on Florida National on Nov. 18.
Last season's national tournament Cinderella, the Southeastern Fire check in at No. 2 in the league preseason poll. The Fire, coached by R-Jay Barsh received 64 points and three first-place votes from the conference coaches after finishing 27-7 overall and 14-4 in TSC action last season, capped off with a run all the way to the semifinals of the NAIA II National Tournament.
The Fire will need to replace NAIA All-American guard Dwayne Johnson after his graduation from the program, but SEU returns second team All-Conference performer Tim Mitchell who also earned a spot on the TSC All-Defensive squad.
Southeastern hosts Florida College on Oct. 24 before traveling to Ft. Lauderdale to take on NCAA II Nova Southeastern on Nov. 4.
The third of four NAIA II National Tournament participants from the 2013-14 season, Embry-Riddle is third in the preseason poll. The Eagles tallied 57 points in the coaches' poll and will be making their final go-around in The Sun Conference and the NAIA as ERAU begins its transition to NCAA II. The Blue and Gold went 24-8 overall and 13-5 in league play to come in fourth during the regular season last year.
First team All-Sun Conference guard DeForest Carter is back for his senior campaign as the Eagles return four of their five starters from last season, including second team All-Conference selections Cesar Pastrana and Dalton Barnes.
ERAU takes on NCAA I Florida State in an exhibition game in Tallahassee, Fla. on Nov. 3 before hosting Sterling in Daytona Beach on Nov. 8.
The St. Thomas Bobcats, who won the 2013-14 Sun Conference regular season crown with a 16-2 league record is picked to finish fourth in 2014-15. STU grabbed 53 points, including a first-place vote after a 26-7 season and an appearance in the final 16 at the NAIA II National Tournament last year.
STU will be without the contributions of 2013-14 All-Conference performers Floyd Battle and Demonte' Simpson, but get Chuckie Becton and Lorel Beckford back for their senior seasons.
St. Thomas' season will begin on the road as they take on the University of the Cumberlands (Oct. 31) and Campbellsville (Nov. 1) in Kentucky.
The Night Hawks of Thomas are fifth in the preseason poll, claiming 42 total points after TU advanced to the conference tournament semifinals in their first season of Sun Conference competition in 2013-14. Warner garnered 25 total points in the poll for a sixth-place showing, while Johnson & Wales (23), Ave Maria (21) and Florida Memorial (11) round out the rankings
The 2013-14 Sun Conference Tournament will take place Feb. 24 - March 3 with the play-in games taking place Feb. 24, quarterfinals on Feb. 26 and the semifinals and championship on March 2-3.
The NAIA will release the preseason Coaches' Top 25 Poll on Oct. 28.
The NAIA II National Tournament runs from March 11-17 in Point Lookout, Mo.
2014-15 Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
1. Northwood - 68 (5)
2. Southeastern - 64 (3)
3. Embry-Riddle - 57
4. St. Thomas - 53 (1)
5. Thomas - 42
6. Warner - 25
7. Johnson & Wales - 23
8. Ave Maria - 21
9. Florida Memorial - 11