NEC Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 24, 2026 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE for All of our Preseason Coverage, Including Interviews, Podcasts, and Conference Previews

NEC MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Long Island
  2. Mercyhurst
  3. Central Connecticut (tied 3rd)
  4. Le Moyne (tied 3rd)
  5. Wagner
  6. Fairleigh Dickinson (tied 6th)
  7. Stonehill (tied 6th)
  8. Chicago State
  9. New Haven

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COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-Before you do anything else, you need to CLICK HERE AND BOOKMARK NEC FRONT ROW

-Long Island basically blew through this league last year. They were 15-3 in conference play and it was kind of a surpirse that they even lost three. No starters return from that team, but they are once again the favorites. Daquan Davis comes in after a solid year at Florida State and Vascan Allette averaged double figures for TCU. Those two guys should be dominant players in a league like the NEC. They also have some solid looking JUCO players, so the Sharks appear to be set up for success.

-Jake Lemelman is a player to watch for Mercyhurst. He averaged just under 14ppg and is a very solid outside shooter. They also return some guys that gave key minutes off the bench and should be able to step into bigger roles this year. They are still a transitional program, but they are positioned to make some real noise in the league.

-Central Connecitcut had a solid season last year going 12-6 in NEC play, which was good enough for a 2nd place finish. While two starters do return, they are still tasked with having to replace a lot of their roster. Most of this year’s roster seems to consist of guys that have played limited minutes in the past, so they’ll have to step up if CCSU is going to be in the mix this year.

-Le Moyne was a very respectable 10-8 in NEC play last year and is eligible for the NCAA Tournament this year. Just one starter is back and the roster has a lot of guys that played limited minutes at the D1 level last year, but who were productive in the minutes that they did play. They were picked to finish 3rd (in a tie) and that seems about right. I kind of have a feeling about them. I think they can have a decent year.

-Dwan McMillan enters his second year as Wagner’s Head Coach and like a lot of schools in the NEC the roster consists of guys with limited D1 experience. Freddy Hassan is a player to watch. He was a good scorer and rebounder a season ago. If some other guys can step up then Wagner should be able to contend for a spot in the top half of the standings.

-Fairleigh Dickinson won just 11 total games last year and went out of the conference tournament kind of early. The expectations aren’t all that much higher for this year. They have some guys transferring in who put up impressive numbers outside of D1 last year and they’ll need to step it up in order for FDU to be successful this year.

-Stonehill was 8-10 in NEC play last year and seems to have a roster of guys that were solid players at nonD1 schools a year ago. Not great players. Just solid. Can they step up and be successful at the D1 level? It may be a tough transition.

-Chicago State is a team that I always find myself rooting for, but that cannot seem to get it going. I’m not sure why. It’s one thing to not be able to break through nationally. It’s another thing to not be able to finish above the bottom of the NEC. They are in Chicago. They should be able to at least recruit NEC caliber players that are good enough to finish in the top half of the conference. Landon Bussie is in his second year as Head Coach and he has just one starter back. It’s a mixture of JUCO players and others who saw limited mintues at Under the Radar programs a year ago. I hope they have a good year, but I’m not overly optimistic.

-New Haven is in their second year of the D1 transition. They didn’t do bad last year going 9-9 in league play, which is pretty solid for a transitional program. They are relying on guys who were big contributors at nonD1 programs a year ago to step up this year.

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MEAC Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 24, 2026 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE for All of our Preseason Coverage, Including Interviews, Podcasts, and Conference Previews

MEAC MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Howard
  2. Morgan State
  3. Norfolk State
  4. NC Central
  5. South Carolina State
  6. Delaware State (tied 6th)
  7. Coppin State (tied 6th)
  8. UMES

MEAC PRESEASON WATCH LIST:

-Brendan Johnson – JR, G – Coppin State
-Tafara Gapare – SR, F – Coppin State
-Nehemiah Reedus – SR, F – Delaware State
-Rahmir Moore – SR, G – Delaware State
-Cam Gilus – SR, G – Howard
-Cedric Taylor III – SR, G – Howard
-Levi Beckwith – SO, F – UMES
-Saadiq Moore – JR, G – UMES
-Alfred Warrell Jr. – SR, G – Morgan State
-Keith Richard – JR, G – Morgan State
-Bahsil Laster – JR, G – Norfolk State
-Jordan Skyers – FR, G – Norfolk State
-Ryan Archey – SR, G – NC Central
-Maurice Vassel – JR, F – NC Central
-Mitchell Taylor – JR, G – South Carolina State
-Noah Treadwell – SO, G – South Carolina State

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COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-Howard was the dominant team in this league a year ago going 11-3 in MEAC play, finishing in 1st place, and then winning the conference tournament to advance to the NCAAs. They return four starters and that cohesion and experience should help them out again this year. Cedric Taylor is one of the better players on the conference, Cam Gillus was a double digit scorer and a good outside shooter, Ose Okojie also returns to the lineup, and they add some pretty good transfers as well. I like their experience, depth, and talent, and I don’t think anyone else in the MEAC can stay with them.

-Morgan State finished just one game behind Howard last year, but all five of their starters have moved on and they’re having to rebuild their roster with guys with limited D1 experience and playing time and guys from outside of D1.

-Norfolk State kind of struggled last year winning just 15 total games after winning more than 20 in each of the previous four seasons, but I think they will bounce back this year. Robert Jones is a solid Head Coach, they have two key starters back including Anthony McComb who was the conference player of the year, and Elijah Jamison was another productive scorer. I don’t like them quite as much as Howard, but I do think they can have a big year and finish 2nd.

-NC Central is having to replace their entire roster after a 3rd place finish last year. They did pick up some guys with D1 experience but it is very limited. They will be relying on some guys that were solid at the D2 and JUCO levels to step up this year.

-South Carolina State won just 10 total games last year and has just one starter back. Noah Tredwell is a player to watch and they appear to have a solid freshman in Clayton Everett, but most of the roster is lacking in proven D1 experience.

-Delaware State won just two conference games last year and finsihed 362nd in the NET. That is…not good. They do pick up several guys who put up big numbers in D2 programs last year and we should see a few more wins this year if those guys can step up.

-It’s been a long and frustrating run of really bad basketball for Coppin State. They’ve failed to win ten games in 11 of the last 12 seasons and expectations are not high this year. When you start going down the roster there just isn’t much there.

-UMES went 5-9 in MEAC play last year, which isn’t good but it’s also far from the worst. Just one starter is back and they’re picked to finish last because they just don’t appear to have much in the way of D1 talent and experience.

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Southland Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 24, 2026 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE for All of our Preseason Coverage, Including Interviews, Podcasts, and Conference Previews

SOUTHLAND MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. McNeese
  2. Stephen F Austin
  3. TAMUCC
  4. Lamar
  5. UTRGV
  6. LSU New Orleans
  7. Houston Christian
  8. Northwestern State
  9. SELA
  10. Nicholls
  11. Incarnate Word
  12. East Texas A&M

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COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-McNeese has been the flagship program in this conference for the last three years and are the preseason favorites to win it again this year. They recruit the portal well and they have adapted to the modern NIL/Portal era as well as any Under the Radar program has. They won 28 games a year ago and it still felt like they should have won more. Larry Johnson is back and he’s good enough to start for most of the current P4 level teams. They did lose some key players and most of the returners saw limited minutes last year, so we may see them take a step back, but this is still an outstanding program.

-Stephen F Austin was actually last year’s 1st place team. Unfortunately they still had to play the championship game on McNeese’s home floor and did not win it. What’s also unfortunate is that none of their starters are back. Narit Chotikavanic was a key player off the bench and MJ Russell put up big numbers for UL Monroe, so they do have a couple of really solid pieces. Head Coach Matt Braeuer had a great debut season last year and this team should be good again this year.

-TAMUCC ended last season with a near upset of SFA in the Southland Semifinals, but with just one starter back there isn’t a whole lot of carry over into this season. Sebastian Robinson was a solid portal pickup from NJIT and Dan Mukuna put up big numbers in D2 last year, so they may have the horses to keep themselves near the top of the standings this year.

-Lamar is in a reset mode after a frustrating 12-19 season a year ago. Jordan Fee takes over as head coach and he has been tasked with rebuilding the roster. Quante Berry was a solid role player at Memphis last year and he’ll be joined by some other guys who were standout players at nonD1 programs, but they don’t appear to have much in the way of solid D1 experience.

-Head Coach Jim Shaw has had a pretty solid run in his three years at UTRGV and is coming off a respectable 18-15 season. Look for them to once again be a good defensive team. They looked to NAIA and JUCO to build their roster and picked up some guys that put up some really impressive numbers. Sebastion Robinson was a big player for NJIT last year and averaged just under 15ppg. I actually like UTRGV to be a bit of a dark horse this year.

-LSU New Orleans has been rebranded. They’ve also been re-rostered as all five starters from last year’s Privateers team are gone. They did invest in NIL last year and seemed to have a talented roster, but they went just 15-18 on the season. This year they have some good pieces as Nick Jones comes over from Wagner where he averaged nearly 15ppg and Kahlil Sington transfers in after being a key player for Canisius. They have some good pieces. The question is can those pieces fit together to actually build something?

-Houston Christian has had more struggles than successes over the years and it looks like that will continue into this year. They’ve added some solid JUCO players, but don’t have anyone that is a proven standout player at the D1 level.

-Northwestern State was just 10-22 last year, and two of those wins were nonD1, but I think we may see some improvement this year. They won’t run with the teams at the top of the league, but they should be able to hold their own with everyone else. Izzy Miles is a player to watch. They’ve also added some solid JUCO talent and Coach Rick Cabrera may be in a position to make some improvements this year.

-SELA is coming off their worst season in a while where they won just 9 total games and finished near the bottom of the league. Things may not be that much better this year. They do have some guys with D1 experience, but we probably won’t see them put up the win totals that they had been prior to last season.

-Darion Brown takes over as Head Coach at Nicholls. The Colonels really took a step back last year winning just 14 games after winning 20 in the previous two years. From a roster standpoint, no one really jumps out as being a prolific scorer, and with so many new players and a new coaching staff it’s just hard to gage just what kind of team they are going to have.

-After a very solid 19 win season two years ago, Incarnate Word struggled last year winning just 12 total games and going 7-15 in SLC play. Head Coach Shane Heirman is having to replace his roster and they just don’t have much in the way of proven D1 experience and production.

-East Texas A&M had a rough year last year where they failed to make the SLC Tournament and are starting over this year after all five starters moved on. The expectations are not high. What’s interesting about them is that they do bring in several international players. Most people, and this absolutely includes myself, aren’t familiar with international players because…yunno…they play in another country and I just don’t get to ever watch them. But they appear to have at least put up good numbers and they may turn out to be better than what most people are anticipating. This team was picked to finish last, but they are at least worth keeping an eye on! I’m more optimistic about them about ETAMU than I am the majority of teams that were voted into the bottom half.

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Pac 12 Media Day (or lack thereof) Recap and Response

Posted on October 24, 2026 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE for All of our Preseason Coverage, Including Interviews, Podcasts, and Conference Previews

-The Pac 12 released no preseason poll or awards, so the following are just notes on each of the member schools in a semi-order of finish…

-The Pac 12 is back!!!! But…the Pac 12 Network doesn’t appear to be. Had the Pac 12 Network gotten the proper distribution the league may have never gone away in the first place…

-Gonzaga is the preseason favorites to win the league despite having to replace their entire starting lineup, but it’s easy to understand why. They are one of the programs that can simply reload their talent every year. Having said that, they aren’t completely stacked with players who have averaged double figures at big time programs. Xavian Lee is a solid PG, but Isiaha Harwell saw limited action last year, as did Davis Fogle in the frontcourt. But Braden Huff and Massamba Diop make up a strong post presence and the Zags are always able to have guys step into new roles.

-Utah State is coming off a 29 win season where they made it to the Round of 32, but only one starter returns from that team. They did get some solid pickups in the portal, though. AJ Bates comes over from Louisiana Tech after averaging just under 13ppg last year, Solomon Callaghan was a double digit scorer and solid outside shooter for Wright State last year, and they have some talented looking freshman as well. They also pick up Ben Jacobson, who is a proven head coach. I don’t know if Utah State will be quite as good as they were a year ago, but I do think they’ll be safely inside the bubble.

-I like this Colorado State team. I think they have a shot at making a run at the bubble. They finished last season winning nine of their last ten games before losing in the quarters of the MWC Tournament, and it was a really solid first year under Head Coach Ali Farokhumanesh where the team improved as the season went on. They return three starters, including Josh Pascarelli who was a solid backcourt player last year and a terrific outside shooter. Justin Menard, who averaged double figures at Marist last year, also transfers in to complete the backcourt. Kyle Jorgensen is another player to watch who has both size and range. I think the Rams could have a really solid year this year.

-San Diego State is coming off a 22 win season where they made it to the Mountain West Championship game, but failed to make the NCAA Tournament. Only one starter, and four players total, are back from last year, but they’ve added some big players from the portal. Latrell Davis (San Jose State, Chance Gladden (Boston U), Nick Anderson (Rice), and Isaiah Sy (Oregon State) were all double digit scorers last year and can all hit from range. If they can gel together, San Diego State will likely be dancing again come March.

-Boise State has won 20+ games last season for the last five years, but in that time never advanced beyond the First Four of the NCAA Tournament. Leon Rice has done a solid job (regardless of what Joby Fortsen says about their former conference), but I don’t look for them to be within reach of the NCAA Tournament this year. All five starters from last year are gone, and while they have a few players that put up impressive numbers at Under the Radar schools, they just don’t seem to have the pieces to run with the teams at the top of this league. They are projected to finish in the middle and I think that’s where they’ll end up.

-Washington State is back in the Pac 12!!!! Ummm…yay?? They had a miserable season last year where they won just 12 games, which was their worst one in a while. David Riley enters his third year as head coach and he will need to replace their entire starting lineup. Lazerek was a big time scorer in D2 last year and Fraser Roxburgh put up solid numbers at Manhattan, but they don’t have anyone who is really proven at this level. It could be another long year for Wazzu.

-Texas State comes in after being long time members of the Sun Belt. I believe they were one of about 37 teams in a tie for 2nd place last year. They won 19 games and were competitive in a pretty solid league. I think they’ll be able to hold their own against the bottom half of the league, but are a long way from the teams at the top. DJ Hall is a player to watch. He averaged over 15ppg last year. He’ll need some help, though.

-Oregon State is back in the Pac 12!!!! Umm…yay? They were a modest 9-9 in the WCC last year and lost most of the key players off that team. Josiah Lake was a solid player for them a year ago, and Deshon Gory is a solid portal-pickup from Fresno State. Legend Smiley comes in from San Francsisco and was a fantastic outside shooter last year, and Jackson Rasmusssen averaged double figures at Idaho, so they have some pieces and could finish higher than where they’ve been picked.

-Fresno State has struggled for a while and with all five starters gone it looks as though the struggles will continue. Head Coach Vance Walberg is entering his third season and has a couple formidable players transferring in in Dragos Lungu and Ross Candelino, but they don’t appear to have much depth and it could be another frustrating year.

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MAC Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 23, 2026 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE for All of our Preseason Coverage, Including Interviews, Podcasts, and Conference Previews

MAC MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Miami OH
  2. Toledo
  3. Akron
  4. Kent State
  5. Ohio U
  6. UMass
  7. Bowling Green
  8. Western Michigan
  9. Eastern Michigan
  10. Buffalo
  11. Ball State
  12. Central Michigan

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MAC 1ST TEAM:

-Mohammad Habhab – SO, F – Eastern Michigan
-Evan Ipsaro – SR, G – Miami OH
-Javan Simmons – SR, F – Ohio U
-Luke Skaljac – JR, G – Miami OH
-Chansey Willis Jr. – SR, G – Kent State

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MAC 2ND TEAM:

-Sean Jones – SR, G – Toledo
-Evan Mahaffey – SR, F – Akron
-Austin Parks – SR, C – Toledo
-Jackson Paveletzke – SR, G – Ohio U
-Tahj Staveskie – SR, G – Akron

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COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-Miami OH had a magical season last year where they posted a record of 32-2 overall, finished in 1st place in the MAC standings, and then went on to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament before losing in the Round of 64. Travis Steele has done a remarkable job with this program since taking over as coach and that success should continue into this season. The question is whether or not they can take another big step forward. Despite the 32 wins, the Redhawks were just barely inside the bubble due to a weak schedule. That could be an issue again this year. While they do face some very solid Under the Radar opponents in High Point, James Madison, and UIC, their margin for error will once again be small. The Redhawks have a talented and experienced backcourt with Luke Skaljac and Evan Ipsaro. Almar Atlason provides a strong presence in the post and he can also hit from distance. Stevie Elam was a strong player at Milwuakee last year and he transfers in. This is a very good, very talented, and very deep Redhawks team. I think they can once again finish in 1st place and land back inside the bubble.

-Toledo was subpar for most of the year, but they played well down the stretch, winning six of their final seven before falling in the MAC Championship game in a very close loss to Akron. They do not return a whole lot from that team, but two starters are back and they also add Angel Montas Jr. from UMass Lowell, who averaged just under 16ppg last season, so they do have some experience and some proven talent and will once again be a team to watch.

-While Miami OH was the national story last year, Akron was…at least arguably…the better team. Their only regular season loss was at Miami OH, and they went on to win the conference tournament after winning 29 total games. Dustin Ford takes over as coach this year and while they did lose a lot of key pieces from last season, Evan Mahaffey is back and they picked up two solid transfers in Tahj Staveskie from Incarnate Word and Ty Pence from Illinois State. Akron is consistently one of the best teams in this conference and this year likely will not be any different.

-Kent State won 24 games for the second straight year last year, but they are starting over this year as all five starters have moved on. Coach Rob Senderoff is not someone you want to doubt, though. Quinn Woidke is back after a very good freshman season and he is a solid outside shooter. They also picked up Cameron Williams as a transfer who averaged double-figures for Portland last year. A lot of guys will need to step into bigger roles this year, and Kent State may not be as good as Akron or Miami OH, but they can still have a big year.

-Ohio U coach Jeff Boals is someone who I think is a fantastic coach. Having said that, the last two years have been struggles, winning just 16 and 15 games respectively and going 9-9 in MAC play last year. That is not exactly tearing it up. This year they have just one returning starter but it is Javan Simmons, who is perhaps the best player in the conference. They also have a few impressive transfers in Kyler D’Augustino from IU Indy (who averaged over 18ppg last year, albeit in a very fast-paced offensive style) and Kolton Mitchell (who was a key player on Idaho’s NCAA Tournament team last year). The Bobcats are another team that I routinely overvalue in the preseason, but I cannot help it. I like them again this year and think they are a potential dark horse.

-Frank Martin has been at UMass for four years now and has yet to have the kind of year we were expecting when he started there. I love him as a coach. It is hard to not admire his success at Kansas State/South Carolina. But, I do not see this as being the Minutemen’s year either. Two starters return, but they do not have much in the way of prolific scorers and seem to be lacking in experience overall.

-Bowling Green was a modest 9-9 in conference play last year and is expected to be in the middle of the pack again this year. Josiah Shackelford returns and is a player to watch. Jayden Johnson also transfers in from South Carolina State and Juan Cranford Jr. comes in from Eastern Kentucky, both of whom were double digit scorers a year ago. I like this Bowling Green team and think they can do a little better than where they have been picked to finish.

-Western Michigan has had eight straight losing seasons and first-year coach Kahil Fennell has turned to the portal and added senior transfers to try and break that streak. Jaylen Washington comes in after averaging double figures at UTRGV and Julien Gomez was a very solid outside shooter last year. Rob Lee Jr. averaged 16ppg at Lamar and can also hit from the outside, Mason Bendinger was a double-digit scorer at USC Upstate, and Tanner Hayhurst comes in after averaging double-digts at Southern Utah. Could this approach work? Could all this experience and production mesh together to turn Western Michigan around? This is one of the most interesting teams to keep an eye on.

-Eastern Michigan finished last season by losing 12 of their final 13 and (as shocking as this is) they decided to make a coaching change after that! Billy Donlon takes over and he has his work cut out for him. Two starters are back, but Donlon has gone the JUCO route to try and get things jumpstarted. He has added some guys who were highly-productive at that level, so we may see some improvement this year.

-Expectations are not high for Buffalo this year and I must say that I think they are being overlooked. They were a modest 17-15 last year, but with no key players back I can see why nobody would pick them to contend for the league title, but they should do a little better than 10th. Mikkel Tyne transfers in from Richmond, who did not score a lot but was a good outside shooter. Drew Steffe comes in from Southern Illinois, Dylan Ducommun was a dependable score at Northern Illinois, and Antoine Lorick III was a solid player for Tennessee State. They have some pieces! I think they will be closer to the middle than to the very bottom.

-Ball State has a new coach in Chris Capko. They won just 12 games last year and are looking for a fresh start. None of the starters are back. They do have a couple of solid players who transferred in (Sean Blake/K’Jei Parker), but those two alone probably cannot carry the Cardinals.

-Central Michigan won just 10 total games last year and was 6-12 in MAC play. Two starters are back and they will be joined by Jayson Petty who averaged double-figures at Kansas City. They also added some players who were productive outside of D-1 last year, but it could be a long season for the Chippewas.

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Atlantic Sun Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 23, 2026 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE for All of our Preseason Coverage, Including Interviews, Podcasts, and Conference Previews

There was no ASun Media Day Poll or Awards. At least there hasn’t been yet. When searching for the results of the UAC Media Day Poll and Awards, I stumbled across the one that BASKET UNDER REVIEW did and mistook it for the actual conference release, and wrote it up as if it was the actual release. I’ve never seen this site before, but it’s pretty good! So I figured why not do the same for the ASun? They’ve got good information on all the leagues, and it’s probably better than the ramblings I put together here where all I’m really trying to do is learn a little something about each of the teams. So, check BASKET UNDER REVIEW out HERE.

ATLANTIC SUN PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Queens
  2. Lipscomb
  3. FGCU
  4. Jacksonville
  5. Bellarmine
  6. Stetson
  7. North Florida
  8. West Florida

PRESEASON ALL-ASUN 1ST TEAM:

-Jordan Watford – Queens (Preseason Player of the Year)
-Mateo Esmeraldo – Lipscomb
-Hayden Wood – Jacksonville
-Avantae Parker – Queens
-Collin Kuhl – Stetson

PRESEASON ALL-ASUN 2ND TEAM:

-Caleb Williams – Jacksonville (Preseason Newcomer of the Year)
-Elijah Brooks – FGCU
-Kenyon Goodin – Bellarmine
-Jamie Phillips Jr. – Jacksonville
-Bryson Lucas – FGCU (Preseason Defensive Player of the Year)

PRESEASON ALL-ASUN 3RD TEAM:

-Kent Jackson – North Florida
-Tyler Doyle – Bellarmine
-Titas Sargiunas – Lipscomb
-Makhi Myles – Stetson
-Tim Hall Jr. – West Florida

OTHER PRESEASON HONORS:

-Sawyer Dotson – Lipscomb (6th Man of the Year)
-Grant Leonard – Queens (Coach of the Year)

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COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-Many teams struggle when making the transition to D-1, but Queens was competitive throughout that whole period and now are the preseason favorites to win the league and go dancing. They have won 20+ games in each of the last two seasons, have two starters back, and Jordan Watford is perhaps one of the best players in the conference. Avantae Parker is a solid player in the post, so this gives the Royals balance. The rest of the roster is a little bit thin in terms of D-1 experience, but they do seem to have guys who are talented enough to compete in the current ASun. Queens will be a fun team to watch this year and it would be a great story if they could win the conference.

-Lipscomb was a very respectable 12-6 last year and there were stretches where they looked to be as good as anyone in the league. They return three starters and will once again be contenders this year. Mateo Esmeraldo/Titas Sargiunas are both solid guards who make up a strong backcourt and if someone can step up and give them a presence in the post then the Bison should be really dangerous this year.

-FGCU lost all their starters from a year ago and Coach Pat Chambers will have to rely on players who came off the bench last year to step up (as well as some transfers) if they are going to make any noise in the league. Elijah Brooks is a player to watch. He averaged double-figures at Houston Christian last year and will likely be one of their more dependable scorers.

-The Jacksonville Dolphins had a frustrating season lsat year where they won just 12 total games and finished 7th in the conference. A couple of starters return and Caleb Williams transfers in after averaging over 15ppg at Lafayette. Jamie Phillips Jr. was also a solid player for Stetson last year, so the Dolphins have some pieces and we should see some improvement.

-Doug Davenport was 13-19 in his first season as Bellarmine coach last year, which is not great, but was a major improvement from the 8-win and 5-win seasons they had prior to that. The program is getting better and they have three key starters back. And this was a team that was not playing awful down the stretch last season. They were 5-5 in their last ten regular season games, and all five losses were close and competitive games. Kenyon Goodin is a good player and a very good outside shooter, Tyler Doyle is healthy again and averaged double figures when he was able to play last year, so they have guys that can score and they have at least a little bit of depth. I think Bellarmine will be a dark horse in this league. I do not think they will win it, but I think they can actually be in the mix.

-Stetson was 7-11 in ASun play last year and won 12 games total, which was the second rough year in a row for the Hatters. Expectations seem to be that this will be yet another rough year. Collin Kuhl is a player to watch. He is a solid scorer/rebounder, but will need some other guys to step up if we are going to see more wins from Stetson this year.

-Bob Marlin had a miserable first season as coach at North Florida where they won just seven total games, and that misery may continue into this year. Three starters are back, and you would hope that retaining that experience would result in some improvement. Kent Jackson is a player to watch…but he is going to need some help.

-West Florida had an amazing 25-win season last year!!!! In D-2. This is their first year of transitioning up to D-1, most of their key players are gone, and it is simply difficult to build a roster when players know you are going to be on probation for the next three years. But…welcome to D-1, West Florida!!

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