By Staff Reports

 

AMERICUS – The Georgia Southwestern men’s basketball team is ranked fifth out of 12 teams in the Peach Belt Conference preseason coaches’ poll.

UNC Pembroke was picked to finish in first place. They received nine first-place votes and stood at the top the standings with 118 points. Clayton State finished in second with 109 points. They received three first-place votes. Augusta ((100), USC Aiken (89) and GSW (73) are predicted to finish in the PBC top five. Columbus State is expected to finish in sixth place with 59 points. Francis Marion (57) holds seventh place, while North Georgia and Georgia College are tied for eighth place with 49 points. Flagler (45), Lander (28) and Young Harris (16) rounds out the voting.

The Hurricanes return for of their top scorers, including All-Conference selection R.J. Sessions. Sessions, who is a senior this year, was 10th in the PBC in scoring last season, averaging 15.3 points per game.

The Hurricanes also return senior forward Andre Statam, who was fourth on the team in scoring and second on the team in rebounding. Senior guard Quenten Taylor also returns for the Hurricanes. Taylor was second in scoring and led GSW in assists.

GSW will play Mississippi State in an exhibition game on Sunday, November 4, in Starkville, MS. They will begin the regular season competing in the Barton College 45 Second Classic on Thursday and Friday, November 9-10, in Wilson, NC.

The Hurricanes will have their first home game on Wednesday, November 14, against Fort Valley State at 7 p.m.