Haynes first team, Moffitt second team picks in Southland Preseason Poll

Nov. 4, 2009

Arlington, Texas - University of Texas at Arlington guard Marquez Haynes was named to the Southland Conference's preseason first team while forward Tommy Moffitt was named to the preseason second team, the league office announced Wednesday. Haynes, a 6- 3 senior from Irving, Texas, was a second-team all-conference selection in 2008-09 after playing in all 30 games. He ranked third among conference leaders in scoring, averaging 16.5 points per game. Haynes also ranked fourth in minutes played (32.2), sixth in free-throw percentage (79.0) and ninth in assists (3.4).

Joining him on the first team were Texas A&M-Corpus Christi forward Kevin Palmer, Sam Houston State guards Corey Allmond and Ashton Mitchell and Nicholls forward Anatoly Bose.

Moffitt made 20 starts and played in 30 games last season at UT Arlington. The senior from Irving, Texas, was a second-team conference all-academic selection, who averaged 7.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-5, 240-pounder finished second on the team and 14th in the league in rebounding and shot a team-best 52.4 percent from the field.

Other players on the second team include UTSA guards Devin Gibson and Omar Johnson, Southeastern Louisiana center Patrick Sullivan and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi forward Justin Reynolds.

The Southland Conference also announced its preseason basketball polls Wednesday and UT Arlington was ranked fourth in the Western Division by both the coaches and sports information directors.

Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin and Nicholls were selected as the preseason favorites to win the Southland Conference men's basketball regular-season championship.

Sam Houston State received the most first-place votes in the coaches' poll and tied for the most first-place votes in the SID poll. The Bearkats were picked in both polls to successfully defend its division title from a season ago, collecting seven first-place votes and 61 points in the coaches' poll and five first-place votes and 58 points in the SID poll. The coaches picked Stephen F. Austin to defend its East Division title with 58 points, while the SIDs think Nicholls will improve last year's second-place divisional finish to win the East Division this season.

The coaches and SIDs predicted the same order of finish in the West Division. Behind Sam Houston, the coaches and SIDs picked Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to finish second followed by UTSA, UT Arlington, Lamar and Texas State. Four coaches and four SIDs picked the Islanders to win the division. UTSA garnered one first-place vote in the coaches' poll and two in the SID poll, while one SID picked UT Arlington to win the West.

The two groups of pollsters differ in their East Division forecasts. In the coaches' poll, Stephen F. Austin, the 2008-09 Southland Conference regular-season and tournament champion, edged Nicholls by a slim two-point margin, 58-56 as the East Division favorite and overall No. 2 pick. Nicholls received four first-place votes and 56 points, while Southeastern Louisiana was picked third, garnering three first-place votes and 48 points. Northwestern State, McNeese State and Central Arkansas round out the six coaches' picks in the East Division.

Nicholls earned the same number of points that Sam Houston did in the SID poll, so the publicists did not identify a clear-cut favorite for the regular-season championship. Southeastern Louisiana and Stephen F. Austin each collected 54 points in the SID poll, though the Lions received four first-place votes to the Lumberjacks' three. McNeese State, Northwestern State and Central Arkansas complete the East Division picks.

The top two teams in each division automatically qualify for the 2010 State Farm Southland Conference Basketball Tournament, March 10-13, at the Merrell Center in Katy, Texas. The four teams with the next-best winning percentages round out the tournament's field of eight.

2009-10 Preseason All-Southland Conference Men's Basketball Teams

First Team

Name Cl. Pos. School Hometown

Kevin Palmer* Sr. G/F Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Baltimore, Md.

Corey Allmond* Sr. G Sam Houston State Oxon Hill, Md.

Marquez Haynes* Sr. F/G UT Arlington Irving, Texas

Ashton Mitchell* Sr. G Sam Houston State New Orleans, La.

Anatoly Bose* Jr. F Nicholls Sydney, Australia

Second Team

Name Cl. Pos. School Hometown

Devin Gibson* Jr. G UTSA Houston, Texas

Patrick Sullivan Sr. F/C Southeastern Louisiana Orlando, Fla.

Justin Reynolds Jr. F Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Pearland, Texas

Tommy Moffitt Sr. F UT Arlington Irving, Texas

Omar Johnson Sr. G UTSA Philadelphia, Pa.

*Returning All-Southland Conference selection

Southland Preseason Polls

COACHES

East (First-place votes)............................... Points

1. Stephen F. Austin (5)................................ 58

2. Nicholls (4)................................................. 56

3. Southeastern Louisiana (3)...................... 48

4. Northwestern State.................................. 41

5. McNeese State.......................................... 25

6. Central Arkansas....................................... 18

West (First-place votes)............................. Points

1. Sam Houston State (7)............................. 61

2. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (4)................. 57

3. UTSA (1)...................................................... 45

4. UT Arlington............................................... 36

5. Lamar.......................................................... 30

6. Texas State................................................. 17

SPORTS INFORMATION DIRECTORS

East (First-place votes)............................... Points

1. Nicholls (5)................................................. 58

2t. Southeastern Louisiana (4)...................... 54

2t. Stephen F. Austin (3)................................ 54

4. McNeese State.......................................... 33

5. Northwestern State.................................. 29

6. Central Arkansas....................................... 18

West (First-place votes)............................. Points

1. Sam Houston State (5)............................. 58

2. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (4)................. 54

3. UTSA (2)...................................................... 48

4. UT Arlington (1)......................................... 43

5. Lamar.......................................................... 25

6. Texas State................................................. 18