ASU Tabbed To Win PBC

Jaguars receive 10 of 13 first-place votes in poll of league's coaches
Web Posted 10/28/09


AUGUSTA, Ga. – Coming on the heels of back-to-back Elite Eight
appearances, Augusta State was selected the preseason favorite to win
the 2009-10 Peach Belt Conference men's basketball championship in a
poll of the league's head coaches released Wednesday afternoon. ASU
received 10 of a possible 12 first-place votes in the poll for 142
points, 19 ahead of Clayton State. USC Aiken was third in the poll,
with Georgia College & State and Lander rounding out the top five.

The Jaguars made history last season, becoming the first PBC team to
return to the Elite Eight. ASU won a school-record 30 games and was
ranked in the top 25 for all 15 weeks, reaching as high as No. 3. Three
starters return in 2009-10, led by senior All-American guard Ben
Madgen. Senior all-conference guard/forward Fred Brathwaite and senior
forward Greg Hire also return to the starting rotation, while senior
guard Daniel Dixon will anchor the backcourt. In all, nine
letterwinners return for the Jaguars.

The PBC will undergo several changes for the 2009-10 season, foremost
among being a return to division play. With the additions of Flagler
and Montevallo, the PBC will be split into East and West divisions. The
East will consist of Augusta State, USC Aiken, Lander, Flagler,
Armstrong Atlantic, Francis Marion and UNC Pembroke while the West
Division will include Montevallo, Columbus State, Georgia Southwestern,
Georgia College & State, Clayton State and North Georgia.

The PBC regular season begins on Sunday, Nov. 15 and continues through
the 2010 PBC Tournament. The tournament format has changed with only
the top four teams in each division advancing to a first-round game on
the campus of the higher seed. The final four will then convene in
Aiken, S.C., March 6-7, 2010.

2009-10 Peach Belt Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Poll

Rank Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Total
1. AUGUSTA STATE 10 2 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 142
2. Clayton State 1 5 4 1 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 123
3. USC Aiken 2 3 2 3 0 2
0 0 0 0 0 0 118
4. Georgia College & State 0 3 5 1 1 2
0 0 0 0 0 0 114
5. Lander 0 0 0 2 6 1
2 0 1 0 0 0 89
6. Francis Marion 0 0 1 2 0 3
4 2 0 0 0 0 83
7. Montevallo 0 0 1 3 1 2
1 2 0 1 1 0 80
8. North Georgia 0 0 0 1 3 0
4 2 1 1 0 0 74
9. Armstrong Atlantic State 0 0 0 0 1 1
2 2 3 2 1 0 57
10. Columbus State 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 2 5 3 1 0 48
11. Georgia Southwestern 0 0 0 0 1 0
0 2 3 5 1 0 47
12. UNC Pembroke 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 1 0 1 4 6 22
13. Flagler 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 5 7 17



--------------------------------------
Robbie McKinlay

Assistant Men's Basketball Coach
Augusta State University
706-729-2449
South Atlantic Regional Champions 2008
National Finalists 2008