It’s a transition year for the Central Arkansas men’s and women’s basketball teams, and that was reflected in the Southland Conference preseason polls released Wednesday.
The UCA men were picked to finish ninth and 10th, respectively, out of 12 teams in polls of the conference coaches and sports information directors. Meanwhile, the UCA women were picked to finish sixth and seventh in the coaches and SID polls, and received a first-place vote in the SID poll.
This season, the Southland Conference features 14 teams with newcomers Abilene Christian, Houston Baptist, Incarnate Word and New Orleans. However, Abilene Christian and Incarnate Word were not included in the polls as the two teams will not play complete conference schedules.
Defending Southland men’s tournament champion Northwestern (La.) State was picked to win the conference in both polls. Oral Roberts, Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin round out the top four in both polls.
Stephen F. Austin was picked to win the women’s crown in both polls. Defending champion Oral Roberts, Nicholls State and McNeese State round out the top four.
Both UCA teams are undergoing an overhaul in their rosters and coaching staffs.
Interim coach Clarence Finley takes over the UCA men from Corliss Williamson, who took an assistant coaching position with the NBA’s Sacramento Kings in August. Finley served as Williamson’s top assistant since 2010 and this season will be his first as a NCAA Division I head coach.
The Bears were 13-17 last season and made their first Southland Conference Tournament appearance, losing to Sam Houston State in the first round. They return two starters, senior guards DeShone McClure and LaQuentin Miles, but Miles is academically ineligible for the first semester. He is eligible to return Dec. 21 against Charleston Southern.
Second-year coach Sandra Rushing welcomes five freshmen and three newcomers to the Sugar Bears this season. Three-time Southland Conference player of the year Megan Herbert has exhausted her eligibility, but UCA turns to senior center Courtney Duever, who was a first-team preseason selection. Duever averaged 13.6 points per game and 8.8 rebounds last season for UCA, which finished 15-15 and lost to Stephen F. Austin in the first round of the Southland Tournament.
Southland Conference preseason coaches polls
The Southland Conference’s preseason men’s and women’s basketball coaches polls (first-place votes in parenthesis):
MEN
RK TEAM PTS
Northwestern (La.) State (10) 120
Oral Roberts (2) 98
Sam Houston State 96
Stephen F. Austin 93
McNeese State 80
SE Louisiana 70
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 56
Nicholls State 45
Central Arkansas 40
Lamar 38
New Orleans 33
Houston Baptist 23
WOMEN
RK TEAM PTS
Stephen F. Austin (7) 110
Oral Roberts (3) 106
Nicholls State (2) 95
McNeese State 87
Sam Houston State 74
Central Arkansas 69
Lamar 65
Northwestern (La.) State 64
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 47
SE Louisiana 40
New Orleans 19
Houston Baptist 16
Sports, Pages 19 on 10/31/2013