UD Men's Basketball Picked Third in SCAC Preseason Coaches' Poll

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – The 2019-20 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) men's basketball preseason coaches' poll was released on Wednesday, November 6. The University of Dallas men's basketball team received 57 total points, including a first-place vote, to rank third in the poll out of 10 teams. This includes first-year member University of St. Thomas (TX).

The Crusaders are coming off a season they were 11-17 overall and 6-10 in SCAC play. They shook off a 1-8 start to the season and got hot in the SCAC Tournament, falling in double overtime to host Texas Lutheran University in the program's first SCAC Championship Appearance.

Dallas returns SCAC All-Conference players Michael Wambsganss (Denver, Colo.) and Dustin Mathis (Fort Worth, Texas). UD's roster includes 18 players with 14 returning from last season.

The Crusaders begin the 2019-20 campaign at home on Nov. 11 against Arlington Baptist University. First tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. UD continues the home stretch with Hendrix College that same week on Nov. 16 at 3 p.m.

Southwestern University was selected as the favorite for the SCAC Men's Basketball Title, with 76 points (six first place votes). Centenary College was the other school ahead of Dallas with 62 points. St. Thomas collected two first-place votes and followed UD with 49 points. After Schreiner University who were fifth was Colorado College in sixth and grabbing the remaining first-place vote.

Click here to view SCAC Release.

The SCAC Tournament will be held at the end of February in Kerrville, Texas, hosted by Schreiner University beginning the 28th. The top six teams will be vying for a spot, but Johnson & Wales University-Denver and St. Thomas will not be eligible for the conference tournament due to still being in transitional years to NCAA Division III and the SCAC.