By Jim Henry
jhenry@joplinglobe.com
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Once again Missouri Southern is out to prove the preseason prognostications wrong.
The Lions are picked seventh in the MIAA men’s basketball coaches’ preseason poll, announced Tuesday at the league’s preseason basketball luncheon in the Kansas City Marriott Downtown.
“It’s no surprise really,” Lions head coach Robert Corn said. “I’ve never been one to put a whole lot of stock into it. Obviously they picked us 10th last year and we tied for third. Our 2000 team that went 30-3 and made it to the (national tournament) semifinals was picked sixth.
“I’ve always been a strong component of there’s always a team that’s surprising to the positive and one that’s surprising to the negative. You definitely have a better chance to be the surprise team to the positive if they pick you low.
“So that doesn’t bother us at all. It’s still a matter of putting a good product on the floor and getting your kids to play hard and play together.”
Southwest Baptist, returning center Matt Rogers, the league’s defensive player of the year plus three more starters, tops the preseason poll. The Bearcats received eight of a possible 10 first-place votes and two seconds for 98 points.
“We’ve never been picked in this position,” SBU head coach Jeff Guiot said. “And I think the last time Truman was picked last, they came within one game of winning the thing.”
Central Missouri is picked second with 82 points, just one point ahead of league newcomer Nebraska-Omaha. The Mules, with one No. 1 vote, and Mavericks, with two firsts, both return three starters. The Mavericks went 25-7 last year and tied for third in the North Central Conference with a 7-5 record.
Pittsburg State wound up ninth in the poll with 32 points.
“We lost four starters, including the best player in the league (offensive MVP Cory Abercrombie),” Gorillas head coach Gene Iba said. “That’s what people look at. I don’t even know who the people are at Nebraska-Omaha. I’ve never seen them play. I voted for them because they have seniors coming back.
“That being said, we can’t help but have our feelings hurt a little bit. I think we recruited well. In December we may not be a very good team, but I think we’ll be a better team near the end of the year. The players will not like this, which is something I don’t mind. I want them to be semi-mad the entire preseason.”
The Lions, who return first team all-leaguer Vincent Ateba and freshman of the year/all-defensive team member Skyler Bowlin, scrimmaged Monday night as part of their annual Meet the Lions Night. Senior guard Tony Webb is another returning starter from last year’s 17-11 squad.
“It went good,” Corn said. “Anytime you have an intrasquad scrimmage, if one team does something well, then that means the other team had a mixup in all probability. We shot the ball well, obviously our defense has a long way to come. And on offense, our halfcourt execution has a long way to come.
“But it was good to get out in front of some people and good to get out and run a 20-minute scrimmage without stoppage. So many times in practice, you’re stopping every other possession and trying to teach, but this was a situation where the kids had to try to figure it out themselves.”
MIAA women’s poll
The MIAA women’s basketball coaches’ preseason poll, with first-place votes in parentheses and total points (points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis; coaches could not vote for their school):
1. Washburn (7) 97
2. Emporia State (4) 94
3. NW Missouri State 76
4. Central Missouri 63
5. Missouri Southern 54
6. Missouri Western 46
7. Pittsburg State 44
(tie) Nebraska-Omaha 44
9. Southwest Baptist 40
10. Truman State 25
11. Fort Hays State 22
