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Mountaineers Picked to
Finish 8th in ASC West
RICHARDSON, Texas –– The
University of Mary
Hardin-Baylor and
Mississippi College
men’s basketball teams
have been predicted to
repeat their American
Southwest Conference
West and East Division
titles, respectively,
after a vote of each
division’s head coaches,
sports information
directors and media
members, the conference
office announced on
Wednesday (Oct. 15).
UMHB’s Tilmon Gaddy and
Louisiana College’s Josh
Johnson earned 2008-09
preseason player of the
year honors.
Mary Hardin-Baylor,
which went 26-4 overall
and 19-2 in league play
last season on its way
to winning its first ASC
championship, totaled
183 points and picked up
18 of the possible 24
West Division
first-place votes in the
annual poll. Head coach
Ken DeWeese’s Cru has
made two straight NCAA
tournament appearances,
reaching the second
round last season, and
claimed two consecutive
division crowns.
Concordia University
Texas (19-9, 14-7 ASC)
was picked to finish
second in the West,
totaling 168 points and
grabbing three top-spot
votes. The Tornados
reached the ASC title
game last season. Howard
Payne University (14-12,
11-10 ASC) garnered 127
points and one
first-place vote to land
the third place spot.
McMurry University
(12-13, 9-12 ASC)
totaled 111 points to
round out what would be
the West Division’s four
teams to qualify for the
ASC Championship
Tournament.
Hardin-Simmons
University (107 pts.)
was predicted to finish
fifth, followed by Sul
Ross State University
(82 pts.), Texas
Lutheran University (48
pts.) and Schreiner
University (38 pts). HSU
and SRSU each received a
first-place vote.
Mississippi College
(19-6, 16-4 ASC), which
has won six ASC titles
overall and nine of the
10 all-time East
Division crowns, totaled
145 points and earned 19
of the division’s 21
possible first-place
votes. The Choctaws will
be under the direction
of head coach Don Loftin,
who takes over the
position he held from
2002-2006. Loftin again
replaces Mike Jones, who
stepped down after
compiling a 333-105
record and 16 winning
seasons from 1988-2002
and 2007-2008.
The University of Texas
at Dallas (17-9, 13-7
ASC) was predicted for a
second-place finish in
the East, totaling 109
points and grabbing one
top-spot vote. The
Comets won the
conference title in
2005. The University of
Texas at Tyler (14-12,
13-7) received just six
points less than UTD and
also collected a
first-place vote to come
in the third spot. East
Texas Baptist University
(9-17, 9-11 ASC) totaled
79 points to round out
what would be the
division’s four league
tournament qualifiers.
LeTourneau University
(74 pts.) was picked to
finish fifth, followed
by Louisiana College (46
pts.) and the University
of the Ozarks (32 pts.).
UMHB’s Gaddy (Harker
Heights, TX / Midwestern
State), a senior wing,
averaged 14.7 points and
5.9 rebounds per game
last season. His free
throw percentage of .793
ranked fourth in the
league. Gaddy was the
Most Valuable Player of
the ASC tournament and
earned top newcomer
honors in the West.
LC’s Johnson (Ruston, LA
/ Athens HS), a senior
forward, led the league
in scoring last season
at 18.4 points per game.
Johnson averaged six
rebounds and his 34:12
minutes played per game
ranked him second in the
ASC.
Gaddy and Johnson are
the only returning
members of the
five-player ASC
All-Conference Team from
2007-08. They were also
both first team ASC
all-division selections.
The 2008-09 season – the
13th in league history –
begins as early as
November 15. The
three-day, eight-team
conference tournament is
slated for February
27-March 1 at the site
of the East Division’s
top seed and an
automatic berth into the
NCAA Division III Men’s
Basketball Championship
will be on the line.
2008-09 ASC PRESEASON
MEN’S BASKETBALL POLL
[Voted on by ASC Head
Coaches, Sports
Information Directors
and Media Members]
WEST DIVISION
Team (first-place
votes)
Points
2007-08 Record
1. Mary
Hardin-Baylor (18)
183
26-4, 19-2 ASC
2. Concordia Texas
(3)
168
19-9, 14-7 ASC
3. Howard Payne
(1)
127
14-13, 11-10 ASC
4. McMurry
111
12-13, 9-12 ASC
5. Hardin-Simmons
(1)
107
15-12, 13-8 ASC
6. Sul Ross State
(1)
82
8-17, 7-14 ASC
7. Texas Lutheran
48
3-22, 3-18 ASC
8. Schreiner
38
5-20, 5-16 ASC
EAST DIVISION
Team (first-place
votes)
Points
2007-08 Record
1. Mississippi
College (19)
145
19-6, 16-4 ASC
2. Texas-Dallas
(1)
109
17-9, 13-7 ASC
3. Texas-Tyler (1)
103
14-12, 13-7 ASC
4. East Texas
Baptist
79
9-17, 9-11 ASC
5. LeTourneau
74
12-13, 9-11 ASC
6. Louisiana
College
46
9-15, 8-12 ASC
7. Ozarks
32
8-17, 5-15 ASC
2008-09 ASC PRESEASON
MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYERS
OF THE YEAR
[Voted on by ASC Head
Coaches, Sports
Information Directors
and Media Members]
WEST DIVISION
Tilmon Gaddy, W, Sr.,
Mary Hardin-Baylor
EAST DIVISION
Josh Johnson, F, Sr.,
Louisiana College
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