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:
- Queens
- Lipscomb
- FGCU
- Jacksonville
- Bellarmine
- Stetson
- North Florida
- 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!!
