ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Emory & Henry University Men's Basketball Team has been picked to finish 13th in the South Atlantic Conference this year by the league's head coaches. The poll was released by the SAC office on Friday.
RELATED – SAC Preseason Poll & Preseason All-Conference Teams
Last year, Emory & Henry posted a record of 5-23, 2-18 SAC during the program's second year in the South Atlantic Conference. The Wasps' roster includes 10 returning players, five freshmen and a pair of transfers that will look to help the team reach the SAC Tournament for the first time.
Lincoln Memorial University and Carson-Newman University are tied for first in the poll, receiving six first-place votes and 137 total points. Catawba College earned the No. 3 position in the poll with one first-place vote and 125 total points. Earning the No. 4 spot in the preseason poll was Wingate University with 104 points and Tusculum University was fifth with 84 points. Anderson (S.C.) University is sixth with 80 points.
Coker University received 78 points, landing in the No. 7 position and Lenoir-Rhyne University earned the No. 8 spot with 73 points. The University of Virginia's College at Wise came in at No. 9 with 60 points while Newberry College was tabbed in the No. 10 spot with 48 points. Limestone University was named 11th with 47 points and Mars Hill University landed 12th with 21 points. Emory & Henry was selected 13th with 19 points to round out the poll.
Additionally, the SAC has announced its Players to Watch, with E&H senior guard/forward Gabe Brown (Clintwood, Va.), senior guard Jalen Leftwich (Lynchburg, Va.) and sophomore guard Jackson Crawford (Daleville, Va.) earning the nod for the Wasps.
Emory & Henry will open the season on Friday, November 8 when it travels to Saint Augustine, Florida to take on the Saints of Flagler College for the Southeast Region Crossover Tournament. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. from Flagler Gymnasium.
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2024-25 SAC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
Rank School (First Place Votes) Points
T-1 Lincoln Memorial (6) 137
T-1 Carson-Newman (6) 137
3 Catawba (1) 125
4 Wingate 104
5 Tusculum 84
6 Anderson 80
7 Coker 78
8 Lenoir-Rhyne 73
9 UVA Wise 60
10 Newberry 48
11 Limestone 47
12 Mars Hill 21
13 Emory & Henry 19
2024-25 SAC Preseason All-Conference
First Team
Nick Brenegan, Carson-Newman
Connor Jordan, Lincoln Memorial
John Zhao, Carson-Newman
Wes Enis, Lincoln Memorial
Jack Browder, Carson-Newman
Bradley Dean, UVA Wise
Second Team
Mahmoud Bangura, Lincoln Memorial
Kendall Taylor, Wingate
Kadyn Dawkins, Mars Hill
Austin Webb, Anderson
Trey Hubbard, Carson-Newman
Bryce Jackson, Tusculum
Players to Watch
Anderson – AJ Wright Jr., Dallas Jones, Cole Middleton
Catawba – Kris Robinson, Montraivis White, O'Mazeon Tinsley, Justin Banks
Coker – Glen Bynum Jr., Ian Blue, AJ Burch
Emory & Henry – Gabe Brown, Jackson Crawford, Jalen Leftwich
Lenoir-Rhyne – Tay Smith, Hantz Louis-Jeune, Ziare Wells, Conrad Luczynski
Limestone – Isayah Owens, Greg McKay, Ayden Hickman
Mars Hill – Kory Davis, Kendall Davis
Newberry – Drake Downs, Malakhi Stremlow
Tusculum – Akeem Odusipe
UVA Wise – Zy'Ever Wingfield, Patrick Shelley
Wingate – Jordan Miller, Jaden Lingo