BOLIVAR, Mo. -- The SBU Bearcats have been ranked #6 nationally according to the preseason poll published in The Sporting News College Basketball Yearbook 2008 edition.
Last season, the Bearcats were 22-8 with a 14-4 record in the MIAA, which earned the Bearcats their second MIAA regular-season championship in three years. They were a perfect 15-0 at home and earned an invitation to the NCAA Tournament where they lost in the second round.
Key returners for the Bearcats will include Junior Matt Rogers, who was named as a unanimous selection last season to the All-MIAA First Team. Rogers was also named as the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year. SBU’s D’Ante Harris was named as a member of the ALL-MIAA Second Team. Nick Kovacevich will provide more leadership this season as he did during last years NCAA Tournament by scoring 23 points and grabbing 10 rebounds against West Texas A&M, and scoring a team-high 18 points against Tarleton State.
As the season opens against the University of Utah on November 15, head coach Jeff Guiot has 299 career wins.
THE SPORTING NEWS NCAA, DIVISION II PRESEASON TOP 10
1-South Carolina-Aiken (27-4)
2-Findlay (28-5)
3-Gannon (25-6)
4-Bentley (34-1)
5-Augusta State(27-7)
6-Southwest Baptist (22-8)
7-Central Washington (21-7)
8-Grand Valley State (36-1)
9-Florida Southern (24-9)
10-C.W. Post. (26-5)
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