*SLU Fanfest will be held on Sat. Oct. 13 from 4:30 pm to 6 pm at Chaifetz Arena. Fans will be able to watch practice, which will already be in progress, before the team splits up for an intrasquad scrimmage around 5 pm. Afterward, coaches and players will be available for pictures and autographs on the court. Parking in the Fred Weber VIP Lot and admission are free. The athletics department will offer free snacks and soft drinks to those in attendance.
*Atlantic 10 Media Day is underway at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. SLU, who finished in second place last season, was picked to finish second in the conference’s preseason poll, receiving 10 first place votes and 432 total points.
*In a somewhat surprising pick, Saint Joseph’s was chosen as the coaches’ preseason favorite, garnering 11 first place votes and 434 total points. The Hawks went 20-14 last season (good for eighth in the A-10), but return all five starters from that team.
*League Newcomers VCU and Butler were picked to finish third and sixth respectively. The Rams received three first place votes (410 total points), while the Bulldogs were picked to finish first by two coaches (347 total points).
*Temple, last year’s regular season A-10 champion, was picked to finish fourth.
Here’s the predicted order of finish:
1 Saint Josephs — 434 (11)
2 Saint Louis — 432 (10)
3 VCU — 410 (3)
4 Temple — 394 (2)
5 Massachusetts — 389 (2)
6 Butler — 347 (2)
7 La Salle — 281
8 Dayton — 264
9 Xavier — 239
10 Richmond — 235
11 St. Bonaventure — 170
12 Charlotte — 145
13 George Washington — 112
14 Fordham — 84
15 Rhode Island — 76
16 Duquesne — 68
*Senior guard Kwamain Mitchell was voted preseason All-Conference first team, while junior guard Jordair Jett was among the selections for the preseason All-Defensive team. Saint Joe’s led all teams with five players selected for preseason awards.
*Here are some updated game times and TV details for the upcoming season:
Jan. 10 vs. UMass — 8 pm (CBS Sports Network)
Feb. 02 vs. Dayton — 6 pm (NBC Sports Network)
Feb. 06 at Fordham — 7 pm (CBS Sports Network)
Feb. 27 vs. Saint Joseph’s — 7 pm (CBS Sports Network)
Mar. 06 at Xavier — 8 pm (CBS Sports Network-Regional)
Mar. 09 vs. La Salle — 12:30 pm (NBC Sports Network)
Brian Haenchen covers the Saint Louis University men’s basketball team for The University News. You can follow him on Twitter (@Brian_Haenchen) or email him ([email protected]).
