Chargers Voted 2019-20 GSC Men's Basketball Favorites
PRESEASON ALL-GSC TEAM | TOP NEWCOMERS
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Gulf South Conference men’s basketball coaches have selected the UAH Chargers as the conference favorites in the 2019-20 preseason poll.
Alabama Huntsville advanced to the GSC Championship Game and earned a berth in the NCAA Championship for the fourth time in five years last season. The Chargers return four starters from 2018-19, including their top two scorers and Preseason All-GSC selections JJ Kaplan and Sam Orf.
Seth Swalve, Malik Cook-Stroupe, and Dalton Barkley also return in key roles for UAH, who received four first place votes in the poll. The biggest change for the Chargers will come on the bench with John Shulman replacing longtime coach Lennie Acuff.
West Alabama, who earned a share of the GSC Regular Season Championship last year, was picked second in the poll, picking up five first place votes. The Tigers tied a program record for wins in a season last year (23) and set the all-time mark in conference wins (16). The Tigers return LaJuan Hardy (13.5 ppg, 5.5 apg) this year, who is the lone returner from the 2019 All-GSC First Team.
After three straight seasons as the top seed in the GSC Championship, Valdosta State comes in third in the preseason poll, earning two first place votes. The Blazers had the top scoring offense in the league last year, but will be without a pair of all-conference selections in Winston Morgan and the 2018 GSC Player of the Year Beau Justice. Preseason All-GSC selection Clay Guillozet (13.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg) returns for VSU.
Union garnered a first place vote and finished fourth in the poll. The Bulldogs return a lot of talent this season, including Terrandus Smith, a Preseason All-GSC selection and the leading returning scorer in the league (17.5 ppg). Tyree Boykin, the 2018 GSC Freshman of the Year, will also be back for Union after missing the majority of last season with an injury.
The 2018 GSC Champions West Florida round out the top five. UWF will bring back the 2019 GSC Freshman of the Year Jon Brown, who averaged 14.3 points per game and grabbed 5.3 rebounds per game for the Argos last year.
Delta State, the defending GSC Champions, finished tied for seventh in the poll and earned a first place vote.
The complete Preseason All-GSC Team, as well as a list of top newcomers for each squad, can be found at the top of the page, while the complete preseason poll can be found below.
2019-20 MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL
| School |
Total Points |
| 1. Alabama Huntsville (4) |
134 |
| 2. West Alabama (5) |
128 |
| 3. Valdosta State (2) |
126 |
| 4. Union (1) |
103 |
| 5. West Florida |
88 |
| 6. West Georgia |
82 |
| T7. Delta State (1) |
74 |
| T7. Lee |
74 |
| 9. Montevallo |
70 |
| 10. Christian Brothers |
56 |
| 11. Mississippi College |
37 |
| 12. Auburn Montgomery |
30 |
| 13. Shorter |
12 |
NOTES: The head coaches voted in this poll. Teams received 12 points for a first place vote, 11 for a second place vote, etc. The head coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams. Number of first place votes in parenthesis.