MACON, Ga. – The Atlantic Sun Conference released its preseason men's basketball polls Thursday, and Northern Kentucky University is picked 10th by both the league coaches and the members of the media.
Mercer, which posted a 27-11 record en route to capturing the CollegeInsider.com tournament championship last March, is the Atlantic Sun Conference preseason favorite in both polls. The Bears defeated Utah State on the road in the title game to win the championship last season.
Mercer's junior duo of Jakob Gollon and Langston Hall earned spots on the preseason all-conference team following its championship season. Gollon ranked in the top 10 of several A-Sun categories last season including; free throw percentage (.829), rebounds (5.9), assists (3.3) and steals (1.6). Hall averaged 11.4 points as a sophomore and dished out 4.2 assists per contest.
Mercer's Daniel Coursey was voted the preseason Defensive Player of the Year after blocking 88 shots - tied for the fifth-best single-season total in A-Sun history.
South Carolina Upstate is at No. 2 in both polls, followed by Florida Gulf Coast at No. 3 in each. Torrey Craig of South Carolina Upstate is selected as the preseason Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year after averaging 16.4 points per game last season.
NKU, entering its first year of NCAA Division I play, posted a 23-7 record last season and advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament in its final year in that classification. Three NKU seniors - point guard
Ethan Faulkner (10.0 points, 4.3 assists per game), guard/forward
Eshaunte Jones (10.7 points per game) and forward Stretch Watson (6.3 points per game) - return this season.
Junior guard
Chad Jackson (9.4 points per game) and sophomore post player
Jalen Billups, who shot 65.1 percent from the field last season, are also back in 2012-13.
The Norse begin the season by traveling to California to participate in the four-game National Urea Cycle Disorders Foundation Challenge at the University of San Diego. NKU meets host San Diego (13-18 last season) on Nov. 14, followed by games against Tulsa (Nov. 15), Siena (Nov. 17) and Cal State Northridge (Nov. 18).
Atlantic Sun Conference Preseason Men's Basketball Coaches Poll
Pl. Team (1st Place Votes) Points
1. Mercer (6) 95
2. USC Upstate (3) 89
3. Florida Gulf Coast 75
4. North Florida (1) 70
5. East Tennessee State 54
6. Stetson 48
7. Jacksonville 42
8. Lipscomb 35
9. Kennesaw State 22
10. Northern Kentucky 16
Predicted 2013 Tournament Champions: Mercer (6 votes)
Atlantic Sun Conference Preseason Men's Basketball Media Poll
Pl. Team (1st Place Votes) Points
1. Mercer (18) 260
2. USC Upstate (4) 228
3. Florida Gulf Coast (3) 198
4. East Tennessee State (1) 180
5. North Florida (1) 167
6. Stetson 113
7. Jacksonville 111
8. Lipscomb 108
9. Kennesaw State 61
10. Northern Kentucky 59
Predicted 2013 Tournament Champions: Mercer (15 votes)
2012-13 Men's Basketball Preseason Honors and Awards
Preseason Player of the Year: Torrey Craig, USC Upstate
Defensive Player of the Year: Daniel Coursey, Mercer
Preseason All-Atlantic Sun Team
Pos. Name School Cl. Hometown Academic Major
G Sherwood Brown FGCU Sr. Orlando, Fla. Engineering
F Glenn Powell Jacksonville Sr. Deerfield Beach, Fla. Sociology
G Markeith Cummings Kennesaw State Sr. Birmingham, Ala. Human Services
F Jakob Gollon Mercer Jr. Stevens Point, Wis. English
PG Langston Hall Mercer Jr. Atlanta, Ga. Accounting
G Jerron Granberry North Florida Sr. Miami, Fla. Communication
G Parker Smith North Florida Sr. Gainesville, Ga. Sport Management
C Adam Pegg Stetson Sr. Clearwater, Fla. Integrative Health Science
F Torrey Craig USC Upstate Jr. Great Falls, S.C. Communications
G Ty Greene USC Upstate So. Knoxville, Tenn. Political Science
