Owls getting respect
FAU is picked to finish fourth in Sun Belt Conference's East Division in the conference's pre-season poll and Greg Gantt is named pre-season second-team All-Sun Belt.
Originally published on
10/24/2012
by
Marcus Nelson
Florida Atlantic has great perspective on the pre-season Sun Belt Conference poll, which was released on Wednesday.
The Owls are picked to finish fourth in the East Division and that's higher than Mike Jarvis thought the Owls would be picked. With most of the players gone off a team that wasn't very good, Jarvis told me a few weeks ago he expected to be picked near the bottom of the division.
Well, the coaches in the league are giving the Owls a bit more respect, but last season showed just how accurate pre-season predictions can be. You remember last season, when the Owls were picked by many to win the the Sun Belt Conference, but stumbled to an 11-19 record.
I would think finishing fourth would be quite an accomplishment this season, although this team has some talented first-year players. The Owls are probably a year away from really competing for the Sun Belt title
2012-13 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
2012-13 Men’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Teams
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)
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)
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)