Coaches and media members cast their votes and the results are in… St. Joseph’s is your preseason No.1.
The league announced it’s poll and awards today in conjunction with it’s annual media day at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
St. Joseph’s received 11 first place votes, just edging out the St. Louis Billikens 434 to 432. The Hawks return every starter from last season’s NIT squad that finished 20-14 before losing to Northern Iowa.
If the Hawks are going to finish as high as they are predicted, they’ll need big years out of their four preseason all-team picks. Langston Galloway and Carl Jones lead the way, both second team picks. Halil Kanacevic and C.J. Aiken check in as third team selections with Aiken an all-defensive team representative.
The Hawks jump five NCAA tournament teams from last season: St. Louis (2nd), VCU (3rd), Temple (4th), Xavier (9th) and St. Bonaventure (11th).
The top six teams, St. Joseph’s (11), St. Louis (10), VCU (3), Temple (2), UMass (2) and Butler (2), all received first place votes.
Last year’s tournament champ St. Bonaventure saw one of the biggest drops with the loss of 1st rounder Andrew Nicholson to the NBA. The Bonnies entered last season’s A-10 tourny as the 4th seed but enter this season a predicted 11th.
Poll
1. Saint Joseph’s (11)
2. Saint Louis (10)
3. VCU (3)
4. Temple (2)
5. Massachusetts (2)
6. Butler (2)
7. La Salle
8. Dayton
9. Xavier
10. Richmond
11. St. Bonaventure
12. Charlotte
13. George Washington
14. Fordham
15. Rhode Island
16. Duquesne
First Team
Kevin Dillard, Dayton
Chris Gaston, Fordham
Chaz Williams, Massachusetts
Kwamain Mitchell, Saint Louis
Khalif Wyatt, Temple
Second Team
Rotnei Clarke, Butler
Chris Braswell, Charlotte
Ramon Galloway, La Salle
Langston Galloway, Saint Joseph’s
Carl Jones, Saint Joseph’s
Third Team
Darien Brothers, Richmond
C.J. Aiken, Saint Joseph’s
Halil Kanacevic, Saint Joseph’s
Scootie Randall, Temple
Juvonte Reddic, VCU
All-Defensive
Roosevelt Jones, Butler
Pierria Henry, Charlotte
C.J. Aiken, Saint Joseph’s
Jordair Jett, Saint Louis
Briante Weber, VCU
All-Rookie
Kellen Dunham, Butler
Jordan Hare, Rhode Island
Daniel Dingle, Temple
Melvin Johnson, VCU
Semaj Christon, Xavier
