LITTLE ROCK — Sun Belt Conference basketball coaches have picked Arkansas State to finish third and Arkansas-Little Rock sixth in a preseason poll.
Two-time conference tournament champion Western Kentucky is the preseason favorite to win the league title with South Alabama second.
ASU's Brandon Reed and UALR's Will Neighbour were each named to the preseason All-Conference second team while ASU's Ed Townsel was named to the third team.
Western Kentucky received five of the 10 first-place votes from the coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own team. South Alabama received two first place votes. Georgia Southern and Louisiana-Lafayette tied for fourth in the polling with Georgia Southern receiving two first place votes and Louisiana-Lafayette receiving one.