Men Picked Second Behind Tarleton
Three-time defending South Central Region champion Midwestern State is picked to
finish second for the second-straight season in the Lone Star Conference
Preseason Poll voted by a panel of coaches, media relations directors and
selected media.
The Mustangs return five letter winners off of last
season's 29-4 squad which advanced to the NCAA II Elite Eight for the third
straight season before succumbing to eventual national champion Western
Washington in the national quarterfinal round.
MSU claimed its fourth
Lone Star Conference title in the last six seasons finishing deadlocked with
Tarleton State by carrying a 15-3 regular season league mark before rolling to a
57-51 win over the Texans in the LSC Postseason Tournament title
game.
Tarleton, however, is the narrow favorite of the voters in 2012-13
edging the Mustangs by a 269-262 margin as both teams topped the ballots of 12
voters.
West Texas A&M claimed four first-place votes as the Buffs
were picked third with 246 points followed by Incarnate Word (166), Cameron
(139), Texas A&M-Kingsville (130), Abilene Christian (112), Angelo State
(95, one first-place vote), Texas A&M-Commerce (91) and Eastern New Mexico
(85).
Women Third in Preseason Poll
A strong season is expected from the Midwestern State Mustangs in 2012-13 as MSU
was tabbed third in the annual Lone Star Conference Women's Basketball Preseason
Poll released today by the league.
Midwestern, who returns eight players
from last year's 19-8 squad that finished fourth in the LSC at 15-5, received
262 total points and a first-place ballot in the poll of conference head
coaches, sports information directors and media members.
Defending LSC
and Tournament Champion Tarleton State (23-9, 17-3 LSC) was the overwhelming
favorite with 20 of 31 first-place ballots and 323 points. West Texas A&M
recorded seven first-place votes with 303 points, while Angelo State followed
the Mustangs with 212 points and a pair of first-place votes.
Incarnate
Word (211 points) was chosen fifth, followed by Texas Woman's (176), Abilene
Christian (170 and a first-place nod), and Cameron (157). Texas
A&M-Kingsville (98), Eastern New Mexico (93) and Texas A&M-Commerce (41)
rounded out the poll.
It's the highest position in the preseason poll
for Midwestern in a decade, when MSU was tabbed to win the LSC South in
2002-03.
Abilene Christian's Mackenzie Lankford was honored as the LSC
Preseason Player of the Year.
