alabama huntsville tabbed gsc preseason favorite - North Alabama
2016-17 GULF SOUTH CONFERENCE MEN’S BASKETBALL Preseason Release | October 14, 2016
Contact: Nick Moeller, Assistant Commissioner | [email protected] Phone: (205) 991-9880 | Fax: (205) 437-0505 | Twitter: @GulfSouth | Facebook: The Gulf South Conference | Instagram: @gscsports
ALABAMA HUNTSVILLE TABBED GSC PRESEASON FAVORITE
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - For the second straight season, UAH has been picked by the GSC head coaches as the favorite in the conference. The Chargers received 9 of a possible 11 first place nods, as coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team. UAH won the regular season championship in the league last year, compiling an 18-4 record in conference play. Despite a loss in the conference tournament championship game, the Chargers hosted the NCAA Division II South Regional and went on to the Sweet Sixteen before falling to Barry in the South Regional Championship Game. The 2016-17 Chargers will be led by Seab Webster, a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-GSC Team and a two-time all-conference honoree, including a spot on the first team last season. Webster averaged 16.7 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game last season and is a Division II Bulletin Preseason All-American Honorable Mention performer. West Georgia, the defending GSC Tournament Champions, are picked second in the poll and received a pair of first place votes. The Wolves won their third conference crown in 2015-16, and their first since 2002. UWG was the fourth seed in the NCAA Division II South Regional last season and will be looking for its third straight postseason appearance this season. The Wolves averaged 85.0 points per game last year, and guard Steph Branch ranked in the top five of the league in field goal percentage. Branch was named Second Team All-GSC last season and is a preseason all-conference selection this year. The final first place vote went to Delta State, who ranks third in the poll. The Statesmen will once again be led by Devin Schmidt, last year’s GSC Player of the Year, South Region Player of the Year, and an NABC and D2CCA All-American. Schmidt led the league in scoring with a blistering 25.4 points per contest, making 112 three-point field goals, which was 30 more than anyone else in the league. He was selected by the Division II Bulletin as the Preseason National Player of the Year. In addition to having the league’s leading scorer, DSU also boasted the league’s best scoring defense in 2015-16, allowing just 67.2 points per game. North Alabama comes in fourth in the poll, while Christian Brothers is fifth, and Union is sixth. Union was the third team from the Gulf South to qualify for the NCAA Tournament last year. The Bulldogs have made the postseason in both of their years of NCAA participation. Prior to Division II, Union was an NAIA powerhouse, winning three straight national titles from 2009 to 2011. Valdosta State ranks seventh, while Shorter, the league’s highest scoring team last season, is eighth. Shorter returns GSC First Team honoree Phil Taylor, who was second in the league in scoring, putting up 25.1 points per game. West Alabama ranks eighth, followed by West Florida, Mississippi College, and Lee.
2016-17 GSC MEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL SCHOOL Alabama Huntsville West Georgia Delta State North Alabama Christian Brothers Union Valdosta State Shorter West Alabama West Florida Mississippi College Lee
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th TOTAL 9 1 1 — — — — — — — — 118 2 5 3 — 1 — — — — — — 106 1 4 5 1 — — — — — — — 104 — 1 1 4 2 1 2 — — — — 81 — 1 — 3 1 4 2 — — — — 75 — — 2 3 2 1 1 — 1 1 — 72 — — — 1 4 4 2 — — — — 70 — — — — 2 — 3 3 2 1 — 49 — — — — — 1 2 3 3 1 1 40 — — — — — 1 — 3 3 2 3 34 — — — — — — — 2 1 5 3 24 — — — — — — — 1 3 2 5 22
NOTE: The head coaches voted on this poll. Teams received 11 points for a 1st place vote, 10 for a 2nd place vote, 9 for 3rd, etc. The head coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams.
GSC Men’s Basketball Preseason Release 1
www.gscsports.org
2016-17 GSC PRESEASON MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM There are five seniors featured on the 2016-17 Preseason All-GSC Men’s Basketball Team, led by unanimous selections Devin Schmidt (DSU) and Seab Webster (UAH). Four of the top five scorers in the league last year return this year, including Schmidt (25.4 ppg) and Webster (16.7 ppg). Phil Taylor was just behind Schmidt, averaging 25.1 points per game and leading Shorter to the GSC Tournament and earning a spot on the all-conference team. Jeff Larkin (18.3 ppg) returns for Christian Brothers and is joined on the preseason all-conference squad by teammate Adam Dieball. Dieball was the GSC Freshman of the Year last year, and he and Larson are the lone non-seniors among the preseason honorees. Union’s Ashanti Day earns this preseason recognition for the second straight year. Day was the conference’s leading rebounder in 2015-16, grabbing 9.3 boards per game. The final honoree is UWG’s Steph Branch. Branch was named Second Team All-GSC last year and was fifth in the league in field goal percentage.
POS G G F G G G F
NAME Steph Branch Ashanti Day Adam Dieball Jeff Larkin Devin Schmidt* Phil Taylor Seab Webster*
SCHOOL UWG UU CBU CBU DSU SU UAH
HT 6-3 6-6 6-8 6-0 6-4 5-10 6-6
YEAR HOMETOWN Sr. Upland, Calif. Sr. Snellville, Ga. So. Cincinnati, Ohio Jr. Cincinnati, Ohio Sr. Sevierville, Tenn. Sr. Brooklyn, N.Y. Sr. Gurley, Ala.
*Unanimous Selection NOTE: The head coaches voted for the Preseason All-GSC Team. The head coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players and ties were NOT broken.
2016-17 GSC MEN’S BASKETBALL TOP NEWCOMERS POS NAME SCHOOL HT YEAR HOMETOWN/LAST SCHOOL F Dalton Barkley UAH 6-6 Fr. Madison, Ala./Bob Jones HS G Malik Cook-Stroupe UAH 6-2 Fr. Homewood, Ala./Homewood HS G/F Mitch Mays CBU 6-7 Fr. Cincinnati, Ohio/Lakota East HS G Brad Miller CBU 6-1 Fr. Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder HS G Jaden Weldon DSU 6-1 Fr. Sydney, Australia/Nicholls State F Cedric Harper DSU 6-7 Jr. Tallahassee, Fla./Holmes CC G Cody Jones LEE 6-3 So. Holly Pond, Ala./Sewanee-Univ. of the South F Tucker Campbell MC 6-5 Fr. Michie, Tenn./Adamsville HS F Xavion Dillon MC 6-7 So. Tylertown, Miss./Southwest MS CC G/F Johnell Ginnie UNA 6-5 Jr. Jacksonville, Fla./Pensacola State College G/F Myrek Lee-Fowlkes UNA 6-4 So. Baltimore, Md./Garden City CC G Yephnick Adelphonse SU 6-5 Jr. Palm Beach, Fla./Trinidad State JC F Eric Ross SU 6-7 Sr. Chicago, Ill./Southern Connecticut St. F Jarad Scott UU 6-8 Sr. Lumberton, N.C./Winthrop F Charlie Wilson UU 6-8 Jr. Pensacola, Fla./Alabama Southern CC G Damian Young VSU 6-4 Sr. Atlanta, Ga./Mississippi Valley State G Sheldon Zablotny VSU 5-10 Sr. Erie, Pa./Florida Southern F Dominique Alexander UWA 6-7 New Orleans, La./Three Rivers CC F Gavin Robinson UWA 6-7 Jr. Memphis, Tenn./Jackson State CC G Marvin Jones UWF 6-4 Jr. Decatur, Ga./Shelton State CC F Darryl Tucker UWF 6-7 Jr. New York, N.Y./Central Georgia Tech C Cameron Blakely UWG 6-9 Sr. Auburn, Ga./Charlotte G J.J. Moorer UWG 6-1 Jr. Long Beach, Calif./Antelope Valley
GSC Men’s Basketball Preseason Release 2
www.gscsports.org
Contact: Nick Moeller, Assistant Commissioner | [email protected] Phone: (205) 991-9880 | Fax: (205) 437-0505 | Twitter: @GulfSouth | Facebook: The Gulf South Conference | Instagram: @gscsports
ALABAMA HUNTSVILLE TABBED GSC PRESEASON FAVORITE
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - For the second straight season, UAH has been picked by the GSC head coaches as the favorite in the conference. The Chargers received 9 of a possible 11 first place nods, as coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team. UAH won the regular season championship in the league last year, compiling an 18-4 record in conference play. Despite a loss in the conference tournament championship game, the Chargers hosted the NCAA Division II South Regional and went on to the Sweet Sixteen before falling to Barry in the South Regional Championship Game. The 2016-17 Chargers will be led by Seab Webster, a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-GSC Team and a two-time all-conference honoree, including a spot on the first team last season. Webster averaged 16.7 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game last season and is a Division II Bulletin Preseason All-American Honorable Mention performer. West Georgia, the defending GSC Tournament Champions, are picked second in the poll and received a pair of first place votes. The Wolves won their third conference crown in 2015-16, and their first since 2002. UWG was the fourth seed in the NCAA Division II South Regional last season and will be looking for its third straight postseason appearance this season. The Wolves averaged 85.0 points per game last year, and guard Steph Branch ranked in the top five of the league in field goal percentage. Branch was named Second Team All-GSC last season and is a preseason all-conference selection this year. The final first place vote went to Delta State, who ranks third in the poll. The Statesmen will once again be led by Devin Schmidt, last year’s GSC Player of the Year, South Region Player of the Year, and an NABC and D2CCA All-American. Schmidt led the league in scoring with a blistering 25.4 points per contest, making 112 three-point field goals, which was 30 more than anyone else in the league. He was selected by the Division II Bulletin as the Preseason National Player of the Year. In addition to having the league’s leading scorer, DSU also boasted the league’s best scoring defense in 2015-16, allowing just 67.2 points per game. North Alabama comes in fourth in the poll, while Christian Brothers is fifth, and Union is sixth. Union was the third team from the Gulf South to qualify for the NCAA Tournament last year. The Bulldogs have made the postseason in both of their years of NCAA participation. Prior to Division II, Union was an NAIA powerhouse, winning three straight national titles from 2009 to 2011. Valdosta State ranks seventh, while Shorter, the league’s highest scoring team last season, is eighth. Shorter returns GSC First Team honoree Phil Taylor, who was second in the league in scoring, putting up 25.1 points per game. West Alabama ranks eighth, followed by West Florida, Mississippi College, and Lee.
2016-17 GSC MEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL SCHOOL Alabama Huntsville West Georgia Delta State North Alabama Christian Brothers Union Valdosta State Shorter West Alabama West Florida Mississippi College Lee
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th TOTAL 9 1 1 — — — — — — — — 118 2 5 3 — 1 — — — — — — 106 1 4 5 1 — — — — — — — 104 — 1 1 4 2 1 2 — — — — 81 — 1 — 3 1 4 2 — — — — 75 — — 2 3 2 1 1 — 1 1 — 72 — — — 1 4 4 2 — — — — 70 — — — — 2 — 3 3 2 1 — 49 — — — — — 1 2 3 3 1 1 40 — — — — — 1 — 3 3 2 3 34 — — — — — — — 2 1 5 3 24 — — — — — — — 1 3 2 5 22
NOTE: The head coaches voted on this poll. Teams received 11 points for a 1st place vote, 10 for a 2nd place vote, 9 for 3rd, etc. The head coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams.
GSC Men’s Basketball Preseason Release 1
www.gscsports.org
2016-17 GSC PRESEASON MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM There are five seniors featured on the 2016-17 Preseason All-GSC Men’s Basketball Team, led by unanimous selections Devin Schmidt (DSU) and Seab Webster (UAH). Four of the top five scorers in the league last year return this year, including Schmidt (25.4 ppg) and Webster (16.7 ppg). Phil Taylor was just behind Schmidt, averaging 25.1 points per game and leading Shorter to the GSC Tournament and earning a spot on the all-conference team. Jeff Larkin (18.3 ppg) returns for Christian Brothers and is joined on the preseason all-conference squad by teammate Adam Dieball. Dieball was the GSC Freshman of the Year last year, and he and Larson are the lone non-seniors among the preseason honorees. Union’s Ashanti Day earns this preseason recognition for the second straight year. Day was the conference’s leading rebounder in 2015-16, grabbing 9.3 boards per game. The final honoree is UWG’s Steph Branch. Branch was named Second Team All-GSC last year and was fifth in the league in field goal percentage.
POS G G F G G G F
NAME Steph Branch Ashanti Day Adam Dieball Jeff Larkin Devin Schmidt* Phil Taylor Seab Webster*
SCHOOL UWG UU CBU CBU DSU SU UAH
HT 6-3 6-6 6-8 6-0 6-4 5-10 6-6
YEAR HOMETOWN Sr. Upland, Calif. Sr. Snellville, Ga. So. Cincinnati, Ohio Jr. Cincinnati, Ohio Sr. Sevierville, Tenn. Sr. Brooklyn, N.Y. Sr. Gurley, Ala.
*Unanimous Selection NOTE: The head coaches voted for the Preseason All-GSC Team. The head coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players and ties were NOT broken.
2016-17 GSC MEN’S BASKETBALL TOP NEWCOMERS POS NAME SCHOOL HT YEAR HOMETOWN/LAST SCHOOL F Dalton Barkley UAH 6-6 Fr. Madison, Ala./Bob Jones HS G Malik Cook-Stroupe UAH 6-2 Fr. Homewood, Ala./Homewood HS G/F Mitch Mays CBU 6-7 Fr. Cincinnati, Ohio/Lakota East HS G Brad Miller CBU 6-1 Fr. Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder HS G Jaden Weldon DSU 6-1 Fr. Sydney, Australia/Nicholls State F Cedric Harper DSU 6-7 Jr. Tallahassee, Fla./Holmes CC G Cody Jones LEE 6-3 So. Holly Pond, Ala./Sewanee-Univ. of the South F Tucker Campbell MC 6-5 Fr. Michie, Tenn./Adamsville HS F Xavion Dillon MC 6-7 So. Tylertown, Miss./Southwest MS CC G/F Johnell Ginnie UNA 6-5 Jr. Jacksonville, Fla./Pensacola State College G/F Myrek Lee-Fowlkes UNA 6-4 So. Baltimore, Md./Garden City CC G Yephnick Adelphonse SU 6-5 Jr. Palm Beach, Fla./Trinidad State JC F Eric Ross SU 6-7 Sr. Chicago, Ill./Southern Connecticut St. F Jarad Scott UU 6-8 Sr. Lumberton, N.C./Winthrop F Charlie Wilson UU 6-8 Jr. Pensacola, Fla./Alabama Southern CC G Damian Young VSU 6-4 Sr. Atlanta, Ga./Mississippi Valley State G Sheldon Zablotny VSU 5-10 Sr. Erie, Pa./Florida Southern F Dominique Alexander UWA 6-7 New Orleans, La./Three Rivers CC F Gavin Robinson UWA 6-7 Jr. Memphis, Tenn./Jackson State CC G Marvin Jones UWF 6-4 Jr. Decatur, Ga./Shelton State CC F Darryl Tucker UWF 6-7 Jr. New York, N.Y./Central Georgia Tech C Cameron Blakely UWG 6-9 Sr. Auburn, Ga./Charlotte G J.J. Moorer UWG 6-1 Jr. Long Beach, Calif./Antelope Valley
GSC Men’s Basketball Preseason Release 2
www.gscsports.org
