Toppers picked to finish third in SBC East

Lucas Aulbach

The Toppers were picked to finish in the middle of the pack in the preseason Sun Belt Conference poll announced on Wednesday morning.

The preseason poll, which was determined by coaches in the conference, has WKU ranked No. 3 in the SBC East Division. The Toppers are expected to trail Middle Tennessee State, the unanimous No. 1 choice in the east, and South Alabama.

The conference coaches also handed out some individual accolades to two Toppers. Sophomore forward George Fant was named to the preseason all-conference second team and sophomore guard T.J. Price was elected to the all-conference third team.

The Toppers finished in third place in the conference with a 7-9 record last season before a late-season Sun Belt tournament run propelled them into the NCAA Tournament. WKU returns four of five starters from that team this season.

The Toppers will have their first chance to prove their worth this season on Monday, when they play their first exhibition game of the season, against Campbellsville at Diddle Arena.

2012-13 Men’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference First Team

Will Neighbour (UALR, Jr., Forward)

Trey Finn (Arkansas State, Sr., Guard)

Marcos Knight (Middle Tennessee, Sr., Guard)  

Tony Mitchell (North Texas, So., Forward)

Augustine Rubit (South Alabama, Jr., Forward)

2012-13 Men’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Second Team

Brandon Peterson (Arkansas State, Sr., Forward)

Greg Gantt (Florida Atlantic, Sr., Guard)

JT Sulton (Middle Tennessee, Sr., Forward)

Bruce Massey (Middle Tennessee, Sr., Guard)

George Fant (WKU, So., Forward)

2012-13 Men’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Third Team

Marcus Hooten (Arkansas State, Sr., Guard)

Raymond Cintron (Middle Tennessee, Sr., Guard)

Javier Carter (South Alabama, Sr., Forward)

Freddie Goldstein (South Alabama, Sr., Guard)

T.J. Price (WKU, So., Guard)

2012-13 Men’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year

Tony Mitchell (North Texas, So., Forward)

2012-13 Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll

First Place Votes in Parentheses

EAST DIVISION

1. Middle Tennessee – 65 points (11)

2. South Alabama – 51 points

3. WKU – 47 points

4. Florida Atlantic – 29 points

5. Troy – 22 points

6. FIU – 17 points

WEST DIVISION

1. North Texas – 55 points (11)

2. Arkansas State – 40 points

3. UALR – 33 points

4. Louisiana-Lafayette – 24 points

5. Louisiana-Monroe – 13 points

2012-13 Sun Belt Composite Men’s Basketball Schedule

Date

Game

Time

Network

11/9/2012

South Alabama at Florida State

6 p.m.

ESPN3

11/11/2012

FIU at Boston College

1 p.m.

ESPN3

11/11/2012

Florida Atlantic at North Carolina

1:30 p.m.

ESPNU

11/11/2012

Louisiana-Monroe at Oklahoma

2 p.m.

Fox Sports Southwest

11/28/2012

UT Arlington at North Texas

7 p.m.

TXA-21

12/5/2012

UAB at Middle Tennessee

7 p.m.

ESPN3

12/6/2012

UALR at Cincinnati

6 p.m.

Fox Sports Ohio

12/8/2012

Ole Miss at Middle Tennessee

4 p.m.

ESPN3

12/15/2012

Florida Atlantic at Dayton

6 p.m.

WHIO

12/17/2012

Louisiana-Monroe at Florida State

6 p.m.

ESPN3

12/19/2012 FIU at Louisville 6 p.m. Big East Network
       

12/21/2012

Middle Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt

7 p.m.

ESPNU

12/21/2012

Florida Atlantic at Indiana

6 p.m.

ESPN2

12/22/2013

WKU at Louisville

7:30 p.m.

ESPNU

12/31/2013

North Texas at Middle Tennessee

7 p.m.

ESPNU

1/10/2013

Louisiana-Monroe at Troy

6 p.m.

Sun Belt Network

1/12/2013

FIU at UALR

3:30 p.m.

Sun Belt Network

1/17/2013

UALR at Middle Tennessee

7 p.m.

ESPN3

1/26/2013

WKUat Middle Tennessee

3 p.m.

ESPN2

 

OR UALR  at North Texas

   

1/26/2013

Florida Atlantic at Arkansas State

7:30 p.m.

Sun Belt Network

2/7/2013

WKU vs. North Texas

7 p.m.

TXA-21

2/7/2013

Arkansas State at Middle Tennessee

7 p.m.

ESPN3

2/9/2013

Florida Atlantic at South Alabama

7:30 p.m.

Sun Belt Network

2/16/2013

North Texas at Troy

7:30 p.m.

Sun Belt Network

2/21/2013

South Alabama vs. Middle Tennessee

7 p.m.

ESPN3

2/23/2013

WKU at Louisiana-Lafayette

7:30 p.m.

Sun Belt Network

3/2/2013

Middle Tennessee at WKU

5:30 p.m.

Sun Belt Network

3/9/2013

Sun Belt Conference Championship Quarterfinals

6:30 p.m.

Sun Belt Network

3/9/2013

Sun Belt Conference Championship Quarterfinals

9 p.m.

Sun Belt Network

3/10/2013

Sun Belt Conference Championship Semifinals

6:30 p.m.

Sun Belt Network

3/10/2013

Sun Belt Conference Championship Semifinals

9 p.m.

Sun Belt Network

3/11/2013

Sun Belt Conference Championship Final

6 p.m.

ESPN2

       

All times Central (CT)