Upstate Picked Sixth in A-Sun Preseason Men's Basketball Poll
10/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Macon, Ga. – The USC Upstate men's basketball team has been tabbed to finish in sixth place according to the league's coaches in the annual A-Sun Preseason Men's Basketball Poll, it was announced this afternoon by the conference office.
Upstate received a total of 26 points in the preseason poll for the sixth place recognition.
Defending league champion North Florida has been picked to win the A-Sun in 2015-16 after garnering seven first place votes for 63 points. Florida Gulf Coast picked up the other first place vote and is second with 54 points. Conference newcomer NJIT follows in third place with 49 points, and Lipscomb (42 points) and Jacksonville (28 points) are in front of the Spartans at fourth and fifth. Rounding out the preseason poll in a tie for seventh place are Kennesaw State and Stetson.
The Spartans welcome back seven letterwinners and one starter from last season in Michael Buchanan, while having to replace four starters in Ty Greene, Fred Miller, Mario Blessing and ShunQuez Stephens. Upstate won a Division I era record 24 games in 2014-15 and made its first-ever appearance in the A-Sun Tournament Championship game. The Spartans made their third trip in four years to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament and advanced to the second round.
Upstate earned victories last season over schools from both the ACC and SEC for the second straight year after defeating Georgia Tech and Mississippi State on the road. In 2013-14, the Spartans earned road wins at Virginia Tech and South Carolina.
Upstate opens the 2015-16 season Friday, Nov. 13 when it travels to College Station, Texas to face Texas A&M at 9:30 p.m. EST. The Spartans host Navy in their home opener on Thursday, Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m.
Season tickets are now on sale and can be purchased through the USC Upstate Athletic Department. Upstate is offering three exclusive ticket packages, beginning with the faculty/staff package that is available for $100. Fans will have the opportunity to choose between the Full Season Package ($170) and the VIP Sideline Package ($220). The Full Season Package includes an exclusive parking pass and a complimentary game program, while the VIP Sideline Package includes the parking pass, game program and prime first row/court-side seats.
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Preseason Atlantic Sun All-Conference Team
Pl. Team (1st Place Votes) Points
1. North Florida (7) 63
2. Florida Gulf Coast (1) 54
3. NJIT 49
4. Lipscomb 42
5. Jacksonville 28
6. USC Upstate 26
7. Kennesaw State 13
7. Stetson 13
Preseason Atlantic Sun All-Conference Team
Pos. Name School
G Julian DeBose* Florida Gulf Coast
G Kori Babineaux* Jacksonville
G Josh Williams* Lipscomb
G Damon Lynn* NJIT
F/G Beau Beech* North Florida
G Dallas Moore* North Florida
PG Yonel Brown Kennesaw State
G Winfield Willis NJIT
F Demarcus Daniels North Florida
F Chris Davenport North Florida
* - Denotes unanimous selection
Preseason Player of the Year: Beau Beech, North Florida
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Demarcus Daniels, North Florida
