DETROIT - The IUPUI men's basketball team has been picked to finish tenth in the program's first year of Horizon League play, according to the preseason polls released on Friday (Oct. 6). Oakland earned 31 of the 47 possible first-place votes to be picked to top the polls while 2017 NCAA participant Northern Kentucky collected 10 first-place votes and was pegged second.
NKU's Drew McDonald was voted preseason Player of the Year and was joined on the first team by Jalen Hayes (Oakland), Martez Walker (Oakland), Dikembe Dixson (UIC) and Cameron Morse (Youngstown State).
Head Coach
Jason Gardner's team is coming off a 14-win campaign and has upped its win total in each of Gardner's three seasons.
"Honestly, we don't put a whole lot of stock into preseason polls," Gardner said. "Being the new team in the league, I don't think the other nine schools know much about us and we don't know much about them. More than anything, we're focused on getting better and improving and putting ourselves in the best position throughout league play, going into March.
"That's what our focus is about going into this season."
Gardner's team is keyed by seniors
Ron Patterson (9.3 ppg, 39.7 3FG%) and
Aaron Brennan (8.4 ppg, 50.2 FG%) and juniors
Evan Hall (7.6 ppg, 58.9 FG%),
T.J. Henderson (5.9 ppg) and
D.J. McCall (4.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg). In addition, transfers
Maurice Kirby (Loyola) and
Nick Rogers (Toledo) should factor heavily into the Jaguars' plans this year.
IUPUI has already begun practice for the upcoming season and has a host of events planned for the month of October to prepare for the 2017-18 campaign. The annual Red-White Scrimmage will be on Monday, Oct. 30 inside The Jungle and will be FREE and open to the public. In addition, season tickets are now on sale by clicking here or contacting
Lauren Gronke at
lgronke@iupui.edu or 317-278-2530.
The exhibition opener will be on Friday, Nov. 3 when the Jaguars host Carroll (Wisc.) University at 7:00 p.m. inside Indiana Farmers Coliseum. That game will also be broadcast on ESPN3 as Greg Rakestraw (pxp) and Hall of Famer Bob Lovell (analyst) will call the action.
TEAM (1ST PLACE-VOTES) - POINTS
- Oakland (31) - 453
- Northern Kentucky (10) - 414
- UIC (3) - 347
- Detroit Mercy (1) - 273
- Wright State - 259
- Green Bay - 249
- Youngstown State (1) - 209
- Milwaukee (1) - 161
- Cleveland State - 125
- IUPUI - 95
PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
- Drew McDonald, Northern Kentucky
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
- Drew McDonald, Northern Kentucky (16.9 ppg, 7.6 rebs)
- Jalen Hayes, Oakland (17.9 ppg, 9.2 rebs)
- Martez Walker, Oakland (17.8 ppg overall)
- Dikembe Dixson, UIC (20.3 ppg, 6 rebs (all gms.))
- Cameron Morse, Youngstown State (23.2 ppg led HL)
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM
- Corey Allen, Detroit Mercy (15.4 ppg, 16-17 HL FOTY)
- Jaleel Hogan, Detroit Mercy (16.9 ppg, 6.9 rebs)
- Lavone Holland II, Northern Kentucky (14.5 ppg, 4.1 ast overall)
- Kendrick Nunn, Oakland (15.5 ppg at Illinois in 15-16)
- Tai Odiase, UIC (3.2 blks, 16-17 HL DPOTY)
All stats are 16-17 Horizon League games only, unless noted
