INDIANAPOLIS – As the 2014-15 Great Midwest Athletic Conference basketball season approaches, the preseason has begun with practices and the release of the annual coaches poll. Kentucky Wesleyan has been tabbed as the preseason favorites in the men's basketball preseason poll. Last year’s runner-ups received five first-place votes to lock down the top spot ahead of last year’s champions Alderson Broaddus, which received three first-place votes.
 
KWC is returning the G-MAC’s Newcomer of the Year -- guard Ken-Jah Bosley, alongside junior Devin Langford. Bosley was second on the team in scoring last year, and this season will be joined by an entire new cast that includes eight new players with four Division I transfers. Despite an impressive 22-9 overall record and 12-2 mark in conference play last year, the Panthers will look to dramatically improve in their out-of-conference games, hoping to secure a postseason NCAA tournament bid.
 
Among the two losses last year, KWC dropped a regular season game and the championship final to reigning G-MAC champion Alderson Broaddus.  The Battlers, ranked second in the coaches poll, will have to replace G-MAC Player of the Year Adam Klein, but should be able to make the transition as Klein was the team’s only senior last year. AB was 24-5 last year and 13-1 in conference; however, to make a postseason run, the Battlers will need to focus in on their early season matchups against out-of-conference opponents from the GLIAC.
 
Behind the Panthers and Battlers in the preseason poll are Cedarville, Davis & Elkins and Central State.

Cedarville finished 10-18 (7-7) last year and is returning three starters from last year’s team including the conference’s fifth-leading scorer in senior Marcus Reineke (18.6 points per game).
 
The Senators will be leaning on sophomore Juwan Strothers after losing the G-MAC’s leading scorer Devin Miller to graduation. D&E is looking to improve upon their 4-10 conference mark from a year ago.
 
Central State finished third in the conference last season and are slated fifth in the preseason poll under new head coach Joseph Price. The former Division I assistant (IUPUI, Ball State) has a challenge replacing the Marauders’ top two leading scorers, LeDonte Body and Anthony Adams-Rule. The scoring duo combined for a third of Central State’s offense last year. 
 
Salem International, Trevecca and Ohio Valley, round out the preseason poll, mirroring their conference finish last season. Salem managed to finish 14-14 overall, while TU and OVU combined to go 11-42.
 
The complete preseason poll is below. The 2014-15 regular season tips off on November 14 with seven teams in action. A full men’s basketball preview will be released next week and the second annual virtual media day will be released in two weeks, leading up to the start of the season.