Albany State men’s basketball picked to win SIAC East

The Albany State men’s basketball team was voted as the preseason favorite to win the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s East Division, the league announced Wednesday.

The preseason projections were voted on by the SIAC’s head coaches and sports information directors.

ASU also had two players earn preseason All-SIAC honors, first-team selection Malik Parker, a senior from Chicago, and second-team pick Jordan Simpson, a senior from Pasadena, Calif.

Benedict and Clark Atlanta were picked to finish second and third, respectively, in the SIAC East. They were followed by Morehouse, Savannah State, Fort Valley State, Allen and Edward Waters in the division.

Miles was voted preseason favorite in the West, followed by Tuskegee, Central State, Kentucky State and Lenoir-Rhyne. Tuskegee’s Gregg Boys was voted SIAC Preseason Player of the Year, and LeMoyne-Owen’s Jaquan Lawrence was named SIAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

The Albany State women’s basketball team was predicted to finish fifth in the East. Benedict was the top vote-getter in the East, followed by Savannah State, Clark and Fort Valley ahead of ASU. Allen and Edward Waters wrapped up the final two spots in the division.

In the West, the Tuskegee women were voted No. 1 followed by Miles, Kentucky State, Central State, Lane, LeMoyne-Owen and Spring Hill. The superlative winners were Benedict’s Ay’Anna Bey (Preseason Player of the Year) and Tuskegee’s Jutoreyia Willis (Preseason Defensive Player of the Year).

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