BEAUMONT —

BEAUMONT – With only one starter returning from last year’s NCAA Tournament

team, the Lamar men’s basketball team has been picked fifth in the Southland

Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, announced the league office Thursday.



Head coach Pat Knight, who led the Cardinals to a 23-12 record and the Southland

Conference Tournament title in his first season, will have nine newcomers and

five returning letterwinners to work with this season. Senior forward Stan Brown

is the only returning starter, posting per game averages of 4.9 points and 4.3

rebounds last season.



League newcomer Oral Roberts received seven of the possible 10 first place votes

and is the preseason favorite with 77 points. Stephen F. Austin earned the

remaining three first place votes and is picked second with 72 points.

Northwestern State (61), McNeese State (55) and Lamar (45) round out the top

five.



“The preseason picks don’t mean anything,” said Knight. “It’s good for

the fans if you’re picked high, but it doesn’t mean anything. You have to

play the season, get through the pre-conference and then get through the

conference.



“For me as a coach, I almost like not being picked for anything because it

gives you motivation. You can use that with your team. With us having so many

new guys, I think it’s good that we’re picked middle of the pack. It gives

us something to work at to finish higher than where people think you will.”



With 42 points, Southeastern Louisiana leads the bottom half in the coaches

poll. Sam Houston State was picked seventh with 38 points, followed by Nicholls

and Central Arkansas tied for eighth with 24 points and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

in 10th with 12 points.



The Sports Information Directors’ Poll also had Oral Roberts and Stephen F.

Austin finishing first and second, respectively, but had Lamar and McNeese State

tied for third. The SIDs picked Northwestern State to finish fifth, followed by

Sam Houston State, Southeastern Louisiana, Nicholls, Central Arkansas and Texas

A&M-Corpus Christi.



The preseason All-Southland Conference Teams were also announced Thursday,

although Lamar was not represented on either the first or second team.



SFA senior guard Antonio Bostic headlines the first-team, joined by teammate

Taylor Smith, Northwestern State’s Shamir Davis, Central Arkansas’ LaQuentin

Miles and Brandon Fortenberry of Southeastern Louisiana.



Oral Roberts placed two players on the preseason second-team in guard Warren

Niles and forward Steven Roundtree. The remainder of the team is made up of

Dontae Cannon of McNeese State, James Hulbin of Northwestern State and Fred

Hunter of Nicholls.



Lamar will play a pair of home exhibition games on Nov. 3 against McMurry and

Nov. 5 against Northwood before opening the regular season in the NIT Season

Tip-Off at Kansas State on Nov. 12.



2012-13 Men’s Basketball Preseason Polls



Coaches’ Poll

Pl. Team (first place votes) Total

1. Oral Roberts (7) 77

2. Stephen F. Austin (3) 72

3. Northwestern State 61

4. McNeese State 55

5. Lamar 45

6. Southeastern Louisiana 42

7. Sam Houston State 38

8. Nicholls State 24

Central Arkansas 24

10. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 12



Sports Information Directors’ Poll

Pl. Team (first place votes) Total

1. Oral Roberts (6) 77

2. Stephen F. Austin (4) 72

3. Lamar 57

McNeese State 57

5. Northwestern State 56

6. Sam Houston State 40

7. Southeastern Louisiana 33

8. Nicholls State 27

9. Central Arkansas 18

10. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 13