IRVING, Texas - Coming off a NIT semifinal run, the Old Dominion Monarchs were picked second in the 2015-16 Conference USA men's basketball regular-season poll, according to the leagues coaches. The UAB Blazers were selected the preseason favorite to win the C-USA men's basketball regular-season crown.
Old Dominion was chosen second by the coaches after the Monarchs’ lead man Jeff Jones won 27 games a year ago, including a trip to the NIT semifinals. ODU’s charge to New York City was led by preseason team member Trey Freeman, who hit the game-winning shot in the quarterfinals and registered a triple-double in the NIT first round. Freeman was named the 2014-15 C-USA Newcomer of the Year along with first-team All-Conference USA honors. He is the league’s top returning scorer (16.9 ppg), and also led ODU in assists (125) and steals (46).
UAB head coach Jerod Haase returns all five starters from last year’s squad that posted a 20-16 overall record and won its first C-USA Championship in men’s basketball. Tournament MVP Robert Brown was named to the preseason All-Conference Team, along with Blazer sophomore William Lee. Brown led UAB in scoring 20 times in 36 games last season, including 23 ppg in a pair of NCAA Tournament games. He tossed in 21 points in the Blazers’ NCAA win over Iowa State and added 25 points in the third-round loss to UCLA. A 6-9 forward, Lee is the youngest member of the preseason team. He also joined Brown as a member of the C-USA All-Tournament Team, along with earning a spot on the All-Freshman Team. Lee ended the season strong, averaging 12.7 points and 7.2 rebounds in the Blazers’ final nine games of the season.
Middle Tennessee received the third highest number of votes as head coach Kermit Davis returns four starters from a team that advanced to the 2015 C-USA Championship final. Junior forward Reggie Upshaw Jr. represents the Blue Raiders on the league’s preseason squad. As a sophomore, Upshaw led the team in scoring (9.9 ppg), rebounding (7.0 rpg) and blocked shots (35).
UTEP senior forward Earvin Morris is the Miners’ top returning scorer, averaging 11 ppg in just over 23 minutes per game last season. He made 13 starts, but in his 20 games off the bench, Morris tallied double figures in 11 contests and scored a total of 197 points. Additionally, he scored in double digits in 13 of 18 conference contests.
Louisiana Tech senior guard Alex Hamilton is the only repeat preseason selection after earning 2014-15 All-Conference USA and NABC All-District 11 second team honors. A three-time C-USA Player of the Week selection, he averaged 14.7 ppg, which included five games with an offensive output of 27 points or more. Hamilton is joined on the preseason squad by teammate Erik McCree. The redshirt junior forward was one of only three Bulldogs to start all 36 games a year ago as he averaged 11.4 points and 5.6 rebounds on the season.
Rice junior guard Marcus Jackson led the league in three-pointers per game, hitting an average of 2.7 from a distance last season. He averaged 14.5 ppg as the Owls’ top returning scorer, and also ranked among the top 15 in C-USA for free throw percentage (.831, third), three-point percentage (.397, ninth), scoring (12th ) and assists (2.7 apg, 14th ). Jackson and ODU’s Freeman were also members of the C-USA All-Academic Team.
Marshall’s Ryan Taylor was named to the 2015 All-Conference USA third team and now earns a nod on the preseason squad. As the team’s “point forward,” Taylor led the league with 14 double-doubles, including a streak of seven-straight from Jan. 22 through Feb. 14. He was the Herd’s leading scorer (14.1 ppg) and rebounder (8.6 rpg), and posted career-highs of 18 rebounds and eight assists in a non-conference game at then-No. 7 Louisville.
FIU senior forward Adrian Diaz rounds out the preseason team. Diaz led C-USA and ranked sixth in the NCAA for blocks with 99 on the season, earning him a spot on the C-USA All-Defensive Team. He also became the first Panther to post a triple-double, following a 14-point, 12-rebound, 13-block performance in a win over UAB to close out the regular season on March 7. The 13 blocks matched the league’s single-game record and broke the mark for the most by a junior.
Conference USA will open its 21st men’s basketball campaign on Friday, November 13, and the season will culminate with the 2016 Conference USA Basketball Championship, March 8-12 in Birmingham, Alabama. UAB will serve as the host school for the second year in a row. The men’s championship game is slated for Saturday, March 12 at 2:30 p.m. EST/1:30 p.m. CST, and will be televised on FOX Sports 1.
2015-16 C-USA MEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Adrian Diaz - FIU - Senior - F - Miami, Fla.
Alex Hamilton - Louisiana Tech - Senior - G - Chipley, Fla.
Erik McCree - Louisiana Tech - Junior - F - Orlando, Fla.
Ryan Taylor - Marshall - Junior - F - Indianapolis, Ind.
Reggie Upshaw - Middle Tennessee - Junior - F - Chattanooga, Tenn.
Trey Freeman - Old Dominion - Senior - G - Virginia Beach, Va.
Marcus Jackson - Rice - Junior - G - Acton, Calif.
Robert Brown - UAB - Senior - G - Clermont, Fla.
William Lee - UAB - Sophomore - F - Plantersville, Ala.
Earvin Morris - UTEP - Senior - G - Memphis, Tenn.
2015-16 C-USA PRESEASON POLL (#) first-place votes
1. UAB (11)
2. Old Dominion (3)
3. Middle Tennessee
4. UTEP
5. Louisiana Tech
6. WKU
7. Rice
8. North Texas
9. Marshall
10. FIU
11. Charlotte
12. Florida Atlantic
13. UTSA
14. Southern Miss