Conference

RICHARDSON, Texas –– The University of Texas at Dallas and the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men’s basketball teams have been predicted to win the American Southwest Conference East and West Division titles, respectively, after a vote of each division’s head coaches, sports information directors and media members, the conference office announced on Tuesday (Oct. 20). LeTourneau University’s Dale Vanwright and Concordia University Texas’ Brad Walker earned 2009-10 preseason player of the year honors.

Texas-Dallas, which went 26-5 overall and 16-4 in league play last season on its way to the ASC title and an appearance in the “Elite Eight” of the NCAA Division III Championship, totaled 133 points and picked up 13 of the possible 21 first-place votes in the annual poll. Head coach Terry Butterfield’s Comets have won two of the last five conference titles. Their run in the NCAA tournament last season tied for the longest by any ASC team in league history. UTD fell in overtime to Guildford (N.C.), narrowly missing a berth into the “Final Four.”

Six-time ASC champion Mississippi College (20-7, 14-6 ASC) was picked to finish second in the West, totaling 125 points and seven top-spot votes. The Choctaws reached the conference title game last season. LeTourneau (16-10, 14-6 ASC) garnered 99 points and the final first-place vote to land in the third-place spot. The University of Texas at Tyler totaled 84 points to round out what would be the East Division’s four teams to qualify for the ASC Championship Tournament. East Texas Baptist University (82 pts.) was predicted to finish fifth, followed by the University of the Ozarks (37 pts.) and Louisiana College (28 pts.).

Mary Hardin-Baylor (19-8, 16-5 ASC), which won the 2008 ASC title and advanced to the NCAA tournament in 2007 and 2008, totaled 169 points and earned 10 of the possible 24 first-place votes. Head coach Ken DeWeese’s Cru reached the semifinals of the ASC tournament last year and won at least 17 games for the sixth straight season.

Defending West Division champion McMurry University (19-8, 17-4 ASC) was predicted for a second-place finish with 166 points – just three behind UMHB – and nine top-spot votes. McMurry won the ASC crown 1997, 2000 and 2001. Concordia Texas (10-16, 9-12 ASC) received 154 points and four first-place votes to land in the third position. Hardin-Simmons University (9-16, 8-13 ASC) totaled 103 points to round out what would be the division’s four league tournament qualifiers. Sul Ross State University (87 pts.) was picked fifth, followed by Howard Payne University (82 pts.), Schreiner University (53 pts.) and Texas Lutheran University (51 pts.). Schreiner picked up the final first-place vote.

LeTourneau’s Vanwright (Houston, TX / Blinn JC), a senior guard, averaged 15.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last season. He was second in the league in 3-point shooting percentage (27-for-58). The 6-6, 219-pounder was a member of the five-player ASC All-Conference Team in 2008-09 and was also voted the East Division Newcomer of the Year.

Concordia Texas’ Walker (Brenham, TX / BHS), a senior forward, averaged 16.4 points and 5.8 rebounds in 2008-09. The 6-6, 210-pound Walker also totaled 24 blocked shots last season.

Vanwright and Walker are both the only returning members of their respective division’s first team from 2008-09.

The 2009-10 season – the 14th in league history – begins as early as November 15. The three-day, eight-team, single-elimination conference tournament is slated for February 26-28 at the site of the West Division’s top seed and an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship will be on the line.

2009-10 ASC PRESEASON MEN’S BASKETBALL POLL
[Voted on by ASC Head Coaches, Sports Information Directors and Media Members]

2009-10 ASC PRESEASON MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
[Voted on by ASC Head Coaches, Sports Information Directors and Media Members]