NEW ORLEANS - University of North Texas senior guard Chris Davis was voted first team Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference by the league's men's basketball coaches Tuesday at the annual Media Day.
Western Kentucky University and the University of Louisiana-Lafayette were selected to win the regular season league titles in 2003. The Hilltoppers, under the guidance of 2002 Sun Belt Coach of the Year, Dennis Felton, finished last season with a 28-4 record and won its second conference tournament crown in a row. WKU will begin the 2002-03 season on Nov. 23 at Arizona. The Ragin' Cajuns, and sixth-year head coach Jessie Evans, advanced to the 2002 NIT and will begin the 2002-03 season on the road at Mississippi State. The 2002-03 Sun Belt Conference Tournament will be held March 7-11 at Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Western Kentucky picked up all 11 first-place votes and a perfect 55 points in this season's East Division Poll. Arkansas-Little Rock, semifinalists in last year's Sun Belt Conference Tournament under head coach Porter Moser, grabbed 37 points. The Golden Panthers of Florida International were selected to finish third in the division with 28 total points. First-year Blue Raider head coach Kermit Davis, Jr. and Middle Tennessee grabbed 22 points, while Arkansas State rounded out the poll only three points behind.
Louisiana-Lafayette was the consensus pick for the top spot in the West Division, seizing all 11 first-place votes and the maximum 66 points. Legendary New Mexico State head coach Lou Henson and his Aggies, fresh off being co-champs of the division, was a clear second-place selection with 53 points. The Privateers narrowly edged out the Mean Green for third place. Second year head coaches Monte Towe of New Orleans and Johnny Jones of North Texas were separated by only one point. Rounding out the division is Denver with sophomore head coach Terry Carroll with 17 points and South Alabama, under first-year head coach John Pelphrey, with 16 points.
The coaches selected Western Kentucky senior Chris Marcus as the Sun Belt Conference Preseason Player of the Year. Marcus, a 7-1 center from Charlotte, N.C., played in only 15 games and still earned 2001-02 Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American honors after leading the Toppers with 15.9 points and 8.9 rebounds a game. Marcus is one of five players picked to the 2002-03 Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team, along with Davis, Hector Romero from New Orleans, Louisiana-Lafayette's Michael Southall and Nick Zachery from Arkansas-Little Rock.
The second team consists of ULL's Anthony Johnson, David Boyden from Western Kentucky, Taurance Johnson and New Mexico State's James Moore and Chris Jackson.
South Alabama's Demetrice Williams, Patrick Sparks of Western Kentucky, Denver's B.J. Pratt, Middle Tennessee's Tommy Gunn and Florida International's Rodrigo Viegas make up the third team.
Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
() - First Place Votes
East Division (Points)
1. Western Kentucky (11) 55
2. Arkansas-Little Rock 37
3. Florida International 28
4. Middle Tennessee 22
5. Arkansas State 19
West Division (Points)
1. Louisiana-Lafayette (11) 66
2. New Mexico State 53
3. New Orleans 40
4. North Texas 39
5. Denver 17
6. South Alabama 16
Preseason All-Sun Belt Teams
First Team
Chris Marcus, Sr., C, Western Kentucky
Chris Davis, Sr., G, North Texas
Hector Romero, Sr., F, New Orleans
Michael Southall, So., C, Louisiana-Lafayette
Nick Zachery, Jr., G, Arkansas-Little Rock
Second Team
Anthony Johnson, Sr., F, Louisiana-Lafayette
David Boyden, Sr., F., Western Kentucky
James Moore, Jr., F, New Mexico State
Taurance Johnson, So., F., Florida International
Chris Jackson, Sr., F., New Mexico State
Third Team
Demetrice Williams, Sr., G, South Alabama
Patrick Sparks, So., G, Western Kentucky
B.J. Pratt, Sr., G, Denver
Tommy Gunn, Jr., G, Middle Tennessee
Rodrigo Viegas, Sr., F, Florida International
Preseason Player of the Year
Chris Marcus, Western Kentucky
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