October 25, 2012

Men's Basketball Tabbed SoCon North Division Preseason Favorites

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNCG men's basketball program was picked to win the Southern Conference North Division by both the league's 12 head coaches and the media members in separate preseason polls, the league office announced Thursday at the Tip-off Luncheon at the Lioncrest Facility at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C. Junior Trevis Simpson (Douglas, Ga./Coffee) was chosen to the preseason All-SoCon Team by the coaches as well.

The Spartans were picked to win the SoCon North Division by the league's coaches, garnering seven of the 12 first place votes and 59 total points. The league coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team. Elon was picked to finish second in the North Division with three first place votes, while Western Carolina picked up two first place tallies.
 
UNCG is under the direction of reigning SoCon Coach of the Year Wes Miller who guided the Spartans through one of the top turnarounds in the nation last year. The Spartans opened the year with a 2-14 record before turning it around with an 11-5 finish down the stretch to win the SoCon North Division championship while Miller held the interim head coach tag. 
 
Davidson, the defending SoCon champion, was picked to finish first in the South Division with 11 of the 12 first place votes and 65 total points. The College of Charleston was second in the division with 54 points, including one first place vote, while Georgia Southern was picked third.
 
In the media poll, UNCG received 18 of 30 first place votes with 164 total points for the top spot in the North Division while Davidson tallied 28 of 30 first place votes with 176 total points.
 
Simpson was chosen the league's 10-member preseason All-Southern Conference team.  Simpson led the Southern Conference in scoring averaging 18.3 points per game, scoring in double figures 27 of 30 times last year. He ranks 10th in the NCAA Division I in scoring among returning players and is third among all returning juniors in the nation
 
Davidson's De'Mon Brooks averaged 15.7 points and 6.2 rebounds as a sophomore. An Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention selection last year, Brooks was named the SoCon Player of the Year by the league's head coaches following the 2012 campaign and took home the SoCon Tournament's Most Outstanding Player Award.
 
The Spartans open play in the 2012-13 season with an exhibition game Saturday, November 3 as they host Bluefield State. Game time is set for 6 p.m. at Fleming Gymnasium on campus and will be part of UNCG's Homecoming festivities. The Spartans open the regular season Nov. 9 as they travel across the Triad to face High Point.
 
SoCon Men's Basketball Coaches Predicted Order of Finish
 North Division
 Team (1stPlace Votes) -- Total
 1. UNCG (7) -- 59
2. Elon (3)  -- 55
3. Western Carolina (2) -- 52
4. Appalachian State -- 36
5. Chattanooga -- 26
6. Samford -- 18

South Division
 Team (1stPlace Votes) -- Total
 1. Davidson (11) --  65          
2. College of Charleston (1) -- 54
3. Georgia Southern -- 48
4. Wofford -- 32
5. Furman -- 27
6. The Citadel -- 15


SoCon Men's Basketball Media Predicted Order of Finish
 North Division
 Team (1stPlace Votes) -- Total
 1. UNCG (18)  -- 164
2. Western Carolina (9) -- 144
3. Elon (3) -- 119
4. Appalachian State -- 72
Samford -- 72
6. Chattanooga -- 59

South Division
 Team (1st Place Votes) -- Total
1. Davidson (28) -- 176        
2. College of Charleston -- 134
3. Georgia Southern (2) -- 120
4. Wofford -- 101
5. Furman -- 62
6. The Citadel -- 37

2012-13 Preseason All-Conference Team
 Andrew Lawrence, College of Charleston
Trent Wiedeman, College of Charleston
Mike Groselle, The Citadel
De'Mon Brooks, Davidson
Nik Cochran, Davidson
Jake Cohen, Davidson
Jack Isenbarger, Elon
Eric Ferguson, Georgia Southern
Trevis Simpson, UNCG
Trey Sumler, Western Carolina

2012-13 Preseason Player of the Year
 De'Mon Brooks, Davidson


- UNCG -