MOBILE, Ala.  – South Alabama men's basketball's Greg Parham II and Kevin Samuel were voted to the Preseason All-Sun Belt teams and the Jaguars were picked to finish third by the coaches, the conference announced Monday afternoon.
 
Kevin Samuel comes to South Alabama as the NCAA Division I active leader in career rebounds with 1,048. He is one of only three active players in DI to accumulate 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds during his career. After becoming TCU's all-time blocks leader in only three seasons, Samuel averaged 11.5 points per game at Florida Gulf Coast during the 2021-22 season. Samuel ranked ninth in the country last season in blocks, averaging 2.9 per game, and was 20th in rebounding (9.7). An ironman in the sport, Samuel has started every game he has played in (128) only missing one game over the past four seasons. In a career with 35 double-doubles, he was awarded the ASUN Newcomer and Defensive Player of the Year awards for the 2021-22 season.
 
Parham II was voted to the preseason All-Sun Belt second team. He adds talent and experience to a revamped backcourt for South Alabama after sitting last year due to a medical redshirt. A transfer from VMI, Parham II racked up over 1,000 points in his career for the Keydets. In his final year at VMI (2020-21), Parham II led the team in scoring with 18.4 points per game while shooting 43.5 percent from three-point range to go along with his 101 assists and 27 steals. Named first-team All SoCon by the media, Parham II scored in double digits in 22 of the 25 games, surpassing the 20-point mark on 12 occasions. In league play, Parham II – a second-team all-league selection by the SoCon head coaches – had a stretch of seven straight games scoring over 20 points.
 
South Alabama was picked to finish third in the conference by the coaches this season with 150 points and one first-place vote. They follow Louisiana (190) and Texas State (162). James Madison and Georgia State round out the top-five with 149 points and 127 points, respectively.
 
The rest of the coaches poll and the preseason All-Sun Belt teams are listed below.
 
Sun Belt Conference play begins on Thursday, December 29. Teams will play 18-game regular-season conference schedules with games being played primarily on Thursdays and Saturdays. The final day of the conference regular season will be Friday, February 24.
 
The season will culminate with the 2023 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Championship at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Fla., from Tuesday, February 28 to Monday, March 6. All games will air on ESPN+ with the title tilt broadcast nationally on ESPN2.
 
2022-23 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Louisiana - 190 (10)
2. Texas State - 162 (1)
3. South Alabama - 150 (1)
4. James Madison - 149 (1)
5. Georgia State - 127 (1)
6. Marshall - 122
7. App State - 120
8. Coastal Carolina - 100
9. Old Dominion - 93
10. Troy - 76
11. Georgia Southern - 69
12. Arkansas State - 48
13. Southern Miss - 34
14. ULM – 30
 
2022-23 Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Awards
 
Preseason Player of the Year
Jordan Brown, Louisiana (JR | F | Roseville, Calif.)
 
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
Jordan Brown, Louisiana (JR | F | Roseville, Calif.)
Mason Harrell, Texas State (SR | G | Midwest City, Okla.)
Taevion Kinsey, Marshall (SR | G | Columbus, Ohio)
Vado Morse, James Madison (R-SR | G | Suitland, Md.)
Kevin Samuel, South Alabama (GR | C | Codrington Village, Barbuda)
 
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team
Donovan Gregory, App State (SR | F | Charlotte, N.C.)
Felipe Haase, Southern Miss (GR | F | Osorno, Chile)
Kobe Julien, Louisiana (R-SO | F | Baton Rouge, La.)
Essam Mostafa, Coastal Carolina (R-JR | C | Cairo, Egypt)
Greg Parham II, South Alabama (GR | G | Richmond, Va.)
 
Preseason All Sun-Belt Third Team
Kamdyn Curfman, Marshall (JR | G | North Bethesda, Md.)
Caleb Fields, Arkansas State (JR | G | Lewisburg, Tenn.)
Nika Metskhvarishvili, ULM (JR | F | Tbilisi, Georgia)
Andrew Taylor, Marshall (R-JR | G | Corbin, Ky.)
Zay Williams, Troy (SR | F | Birmingham, Ala.)
 
 
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