Oct. 22, 2003

RICHARDSON, Texas - A pair of defending champions have been voted as favorites to finish atop their respective divisions in the 2003-04 American Southwest Conference Preseason Men's Basketball poll voted by the conference coaches, sports information directors and media.

Mississippi College, defending ASC champion and NCAA-III Championship participant, pulled-in 15 first-place votes (147 pts.) to earn the nod for the ASC East Division title. Sul Ross State University, who won its first ASC West Division championship last season, earned 10 first-place votes (137 pts.) and the division favorite label.

Defending East Division champion East Texas Baptist (118 pts.), University of the Ozarks (102) and Louisiana College were all projected as upper division finishers in the ASC East. LeTourneau (79), University of Texas at Dallas (73), Austin College (49) and first-year conference member University of Texas at Tyler (33) were picked from fifth to eighth, respectively.

Howard Payne (127), McMurry (117) and Mary Hardin-Baylor (90) all trailed favorite Sul Ross State as upper division ASC West finishers. Texas Lutheran (85), Concordia-Austin (51), Schreiner (36) and Hardin-Simmons (35) were projected to finish in the lower half of the ASC West.

Pollsters also selected preseason ASC Player of the Year candidates, naming East Texas Baptist guard Cedric Isom (Newton, Texas/Newton HS) as the East Division favorite and Howard Payne guard Benny West (Dallas, Texas/Carter HS) as the top West Division player. Last season's East Freshman of the Year, Isom averaged 15.0 points and led ETBU to its first-ever ASC East title. West, an all-West and all-conference pick, was the 2002-03 West Player of the Year leading the conference in scoring (23.1 ppg) and steals (4.57 ave.).