NEW ORLEANS – The South Alabama Men's Basketball has been picked to finish 11th in the 2024-25 Sun Belt Conference Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll, the conference announced Monday afternoon.
Overall, the Jaguars finished with 78 points ahead of Georgia State, Coastal Carolina, and ULM, respectively. Narrowly ahead of South was Marshall with 79 points, while Old Dominion and Georgia Southern tied for eighth with 85 points. Arkansas State was the top pick with 193 points and 12 first-place votes. James Madison followed in second place with 170 points and one first-place vote, while Troy was in third with 155 points and one first-place vote.
South Alabama brings back five players from the 2023-24 campaign. Elijah Ormiston, Ethan Kizer, Julian Margrave, and Maxwell Land all return with playing experience from last season, while John Broom enters his redshirt freshman season.
The Jags welcome eight transfers as Barry Dunning Jr., Cantia Rahming, Caleb Kizer, Dylan Fasoyiro, Jayden Cooper, JJ Wheat, Myles Corey, and Randy Brady joined South in the offseason recruiting cycle.
Sun Belt Conference play begins on Saturday, December 21, for the Jaguars as they host James Madison. The final day of the conference regular season will be Friday, February 28 in the Mitchell Center against Louisiana.
The season will culminate with the 2024-25 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Championship at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Fla., from Tuesday, March 4 to Monday, March 10. All games will air on ESPN+.
The rest of the coaches' poll and the preseason All-Sun Belt teams are listed below.
2024 Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Awards
Preseason Player of the Year:
Kobe Julien, Arkansas State
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
Mark Freeman, James Madison
Kobe Julien, Arkansas State
Hosana Kitenge, Louisiana
Nate Martin, Marshall
Myles Rigsby, Troy
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team
Obinna Anochili-Killen, Marshall
Tayton Conerway, Troy
C.J. Huntley, App State
Toneari Lane, Georgia State
Taryn Todd, Arkansas State
Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team
Xavier Brown, James Madison
Andre Curbelo, Southern Miss
Tyrel Morgan, Texas State
Izaiyah Nelson, Arkansas State
Myles Tate, App State
2024 Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Arkansas State (12) – 193
2. James Madison (1) – 170
3. Troy (1) – 155
4. Louisiana – 144
5. Southern Miss – 133
6. App State – 122
7. Texas State – 89
T8. Georgia Southern – 85
T8. Old Dominion – 85
10. Marshall – 79
11. South Alabama – 78
12. Georgia State – 75
13. Coastal Carolina – 34
14. ULM – 28
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