Monday, October 10, 2005

Johnson City, Tenn. – Defending regular season champion Gardner-Webb tops both the Atlantic Sun coaches and media preseason polls as announced by the league office at the conference media day in Johnson City, Tenn.

The media predicted Gardner-Webb to also capture the tournament championship while the league’s coaches expect newcomer ETSU to win the conference’s automatic bid when they host the 2006 General Shale Atlantic Sun Men’s Basketball Championship on March 2-4. The coaches poll resulted in a tight race as GWU edged the Buccaneers by just two points and Belmont by only six points despite collecting only three of 11 possible first place votes. Five coaches placed ETSU at the top of their ballot while the league’s Nashville contingent of Belmont (2) and Lipscomb (1) garnered the remaining three votes.

The Runnin’ Bulldogs are no surprise at the top of the polls, returning all five starters including three preseason All-Atlantic Sun selections from last year’s squad that captured the school’s first A-Sun regular season title. Gardner-Webb’s triple threat of Brian Bender, Tim Jennings and Simon Conn all earned recognition from the league coaches. Bender was a first team All-Atlantic Sun honoree after leading the team in scoring while Jennings earned both Defensive Player of the Year and second team all-conference accolades last season. Conn broke out at the conference championship, averaging 21.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game while leading GWU to the title game.

Nipping at Gardner-Webb’s heels is newcomer ETSU and the A-Sun Preseason Player of the Year Tim Smith. The Buccaneers are just one year removed from a 27-win season that nearly culminated in a first round NCAA upset. Smith has decided to return to Johnson City for his fourth season after putting his name in the NBA Draft pool earlier this year. The senior guard is on pace to become the Bucs’ all-time leading scorer, having finished seventh in the nation last season with an average of 22.2 points per game. Only one A-Sun player has averaged more than 20 points per game in the last six years.

Belmont landed third in both polls and did receive some consideration for first place by voters in each. The Bruins are just one year removed from a berth in the NIT and have won more conference games over the last three seasons (39) than any other current member of the Atlantic Sun.

Lipscomb nearly tripled their win total from the team’s first year in the league and welcome back all five starters from that squad. The Bisons landed fourth in the coaches poll while Florida Atlantic picked up that slot in the media poll. The Owls lost A-Sun Player of the Year Mike Bell but added star power in former AP National Coach of the Year Matt Doherty. Reigning A-Sun Student-Athlete of the Year Will Emerson of Mercer rounds out the league’s preseason All-Atlantic Sun squad. Emerson was one of three players to lead his team in scoring and rebounding last year. The Bears were slotted fifth in the coaches poll and sixth in the media poll. Stetson (7th – coaches/8th – media), Jacksonville (8th/7th), Campbell (9th/9th), Kennesaw State (10th/10th) and UNF (11th/11th) round out the polls.