Sun Belt
Conference Freshman of the Year Tony Mitchell was named 2012-13 Men’s
Basketball Preseason Player of the Year, while Middle Tennessee and North Texas
were unanimous selections to win the SBC East and West Divisions, respectively,
the league office announced Wednesday.
In
conference games last season, Mitchell averaged a double-double and led the
league in points per game (15.9), rebounds per game (11.8), three-point
percentage (.471) and blocked shots (50). The sophomore forward also shot 58.1
percent from the field which placed second in the league.
MT was
tabbed to win the SBC East after taking all 11 preseason first place votes. The
Blue Raiders won the SBC Regular Season crown in 2011-12 with a 14-2 mark and earned
votes in this year’s USA Today coaches’ preseason poll for the first time in
program history.
North Texas
was placed to finish first in the SBC West after receiving all 11 preseason
first place votes.
The Blue
Raiders return 10 of their top 12 leading scorers from last season, including
Preseason All-SBC First Team selection Marcos Knight. The senior guard from
Rentz, Ga., registered 11.8 points and 3.0 assists per game last year. His 1.6
assist:turnover ratio in conference play ranked third in the league.
Picked to
finish second in the SBC East was South Alabama under the direction of
14th-year head coach Ronnie Arrow. The Jaguars return seven letterwinners and
their top three scorers from last year’s 17-12 squad, with Preseason All-SBC
First Team selection Augustine Rubit leading the way.
Rubit, a
junior forward from Houston, Texas, earned All-SBC First Team accolades last
year and was the only Jaguar to start all 29 games. He led the league in
rebounding for the second consecutive season and ranked 38th in the nation with
9.2 per game. He also returns as the league’s leading scorer after dropping in
15.2 points a game last season, second best in the conference.
After
leading UALR to a first-place finish in the SBC West last season, sophomore
Will Neighbour inked his name on the Preseason All-SBC First Team. In his
rookie season, the big man poured in 10.5 points per game while pulling down
5.3 rebounds. He also proved his shooting accuracy by knocking down 81.5
percent from the free throw line and 41.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Neighbour
was a Second Team All-SBC selection last season and will look to lead a young
UALR team that welcomes nine newcomers. The Trojans are guided by 10th-year
head coach Steve Shields and are projected to finish third in the SBC West as
they return three letterwinners.
Arkansas
State senior guard Trey Finn rounded out the Preseason All-SBC First Team after
sinking 11.6 points per game last season for the Red Wolves. Finn tallied 21
double-digit scoring games last season and also brought down 5.3 rebounds per
game. He started 29 of 30 contests for ASU and connected on a team-high 61
three-pointers while shooting 45.9 percent from long-range.
Under the
direction of fifth-year head coach John Brady, ASU was picked to finish second
in the SBC West Division. The Red Wolves return four starters from last year’s
team, including leading scorer and Preseason All-SBC Third Team selection Marcus
Hooten.
Defending
SBC Tournament champions WKU was tabbed for a third place finish in the SBC
East and returns 63.3 percent of its scoring from last season. The Hilltoppers
knocked off Mississippi Valley State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament
last season and have won at least one game in its last three NCAA Tournament
appearances (2008, 09, 12).
WKU returns
four starters and nine letterwinners from last year’s team, including Preseason
All-SBC Second Team selection George Fant. The Hilltoppers have made it to at
least the SBC Tournament semifinals in eight consecutive seasons.
The SBC will
have two regular-season nationally televised games on ESPN2 in addition to the
SBC Championship finals in Hot Springs on March 11. Florida Atlantic will
travel to Indiana on Dec. 21 in the first nationally televised game, and either
WKU at MT or UALR at NT will be aired on ESPN2 on Jan. 26.
Four SBC
contests will be nationally televised on ESPNU, and an additional eight matchups
can be seen on ESPN3.com. The Sun Belt Network will air seven regular-season
games and the SBC Championship quarterfinals and semifinals.
2012-13 Men’s Basketball Preseason
All-Conference First Team
■Will Neighbour (UALR, Jr., Forward)
■Trey Finn (Arkansas State, Sr.,
Guard)
■Marcos Knight (Middle Tennessee, Sr.,
Guard)
■Tony Mitchell (North Texas, So.,
Forward)
■Augustine Rubit (South Alabama, Jr.,
Forward)
2012-13 Men’s Basketball Preseason
All-Conference Second Team
■Brandon Peterson (Arkansas State,
Sr., Forward)
■Greg Gantt (Florida Atlantic, Sr.,
Guard)
■JT Sulton (Middle Tennessee, Sr.,
Forward)
■Bruce Massey (Middle Tennessee, Sr.,
Guard)
■George Fant (WKU, So., Forward)
2012-13 Men’s Basketball Preseason
All-Conference Third Team
■Marcus Hooten (Arkansas State, Sr.,
Guard)
■Raymond Cintron (Middle Tennessee,
Sr., Guard)
■Javier Carter (South Alabama, Sr.,
Forward)
■Freddie Goldstein (South Alabama,
Sr., Guard)
■T.J. Price (WKU, So., Guard)
2012-13 Men’s Basketball Preseason
Player of the Year
■Tony Mitchell (North Texas, So.,
Forward)
2012-13 Men’s Basketball Preseason
Coaches’ Poll
(First place
votes in parentheses)
EAST DIVISION
1. Middle Tennessee – 65 points (11)
2. South Alabama – 51 points
3. WKU – 47 points
4. Florida Atlantic – 29 points
5. Troy – 22 points
6. FIU – 17 points
WEST DIVISION
1. North Texas – 55 points (11)
2. Arkansas State – 40 points
3. UALR – 33 points
4. Louisiana-Lafayette – 24 points
5. Louisiana-Monroe – 13 points
