INDIANAPOLIS – Reigning league tournament champion Kentucky Wesleyan was selected first to lead the 2016-17 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour on Friday.
KWC leads the seven men’s basketball field with aspirations to repeat and further an already-stellar 2015-16 season that included the G-MAC’s first NCAA Championship Midwest Regional bid.
The Panthers were a unanimous selection in first place with all possible six first-place votes and received a total of 36 points by the coaches in the balloting.
Early in the season, Kentucky Wesleyan will get a chance to display its immense talent under head coach Happy Osborne on ESPN3/WatchESPN vs. Southern Indiana in front of a national audience.
On Saturday, November 19, Kentucky Wesleyan is part of the inaugural Small College Baskeball Hall of Fame Classic held in the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind. This is part of the NCAA Division II basketball showcase schedule.
Preseason DII Bulletin All-American Jordan Jacks was a nightly double-double threat in his first year while senior guard Ken-Jah Bosley has a chance to permanently change the course of the conference record books in many categories as a four-year student-athlete.
Alderson Broaddus was the preseason runner-up as the league’s coaches envision the Battlers getting back on track after making the conference tournament semis last year.
A young and talented Cedarville squad was picked third. The Yellow Jackets integrated a host of freshmen and newcomers in 2015-16 and are poised to turn the corner in the next step of their development.
Davis & Elkins made huge strides under first-year leader Nick Patella and has one of the most talented and entertaining players back as Kevin Bracy-Davis is arguably one of the favorites to emerge as the player of the year.
Despite finishing second in the conference tournament, Trevecca Nazarene checks in at fifth with what should be a chip on its shoulder. The Trojans will have a brand new look this year after graduating a sizable senior class, including G-MAC Player of the Year in guard Byron Sanford.
First-year conference member institution Malone will debut the year at sixth in the Pioneers' first men's hoops poll. Malone went 7-20 last season in the GLIAC before officially joining the G-MAC.
Ohio Valley will be without the familiar guard tandem of Darryl Walker and Markese Allen and the Fighting Scots will open the year ranked seventh, respectively.
The conference is working with each institution to provide a season preview with coach and student-athlete interviews.
The schedule for releasing G-MAC men's basketball season previews is as follows:
Monday, Oct. 31 - Malone, Ohio Valley
Tuesday, Nov. 1 - Cedarville, Davis & Elkins
Wednesday, Nov. 2 - Trevecca Nazarene, Alderson Broaddus
Thursday, Nov. 3 - Kentucky Wesleyan
2016-17 G-MAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour
| School |
Points |
| 1. Kentucky Wesleyan (6 first-place votes) |
36 |
| 2. Alderson Broaddus |
27 |
| 3. Cedarville |
26 |
| 4. Davis & Elkins |
24 |
| 5. Trevecca Nazarene |
17 |
| 6. Malone |
10 |
| 7. Ohio Valley |
7 |