ENMU women picked second in LSC basketball preseason poll

PORTALES — Following a season where it made its first NCAA Division II women’s basketball tournament, Eastern New Mexico University has been picked to finish second in the Lone Star Conference.

That’s according to the preseason poll, released Wednesday by the conference office in Richardson, Texas.

The Greyhounds, who shared the league crown with Angelo State last season, received seven of the 31 first-place votes given by sports information directors, coaches and media representatives.

On a video made for the LSC’s media day, ENMU coach Josh Prock said the team realizes the burden of being the defending champion.

“That’s where you want your program to be,” Prock said. “We’re here, and these girls fully understand the expectations that they are going to be the one everybody’s gunning for so we’ve got to work that much harder and be sure we’re ready.”

The Greyhounds have an exhibition Monday at the University of Arizona. They open the season Nov. 10 against South Dakota School of Mines, and are home for the first time Nov. 30 against Texas-Permian Basin.

West Texas A&M, which went 26-9 and made the Elite Eight last year, took 11 first-place votes and received the top spot. The Lady Buffs and Hounds were followed by Tarleton State, Angelo State, Texas A&M-Commerce and Texas Woman’s.

Tarleton State was also honored, with sophomore forward Mackenzie Hailey selected as preseason player of the year. In her freshman year, Hailey averaged 16.1 points and 8.4 rebounds, and was the postseason tournament MVP.

The men’s preseason poll showed the Greyhounds finishing ninth, as they did last season.

Texas-Permian Basin, which won the LSC in its debut season, took 19 of the 28 first-place votes to finish ahead of West Texas A&M and Tarleton State.

The Falcons’ Daeshon Francis, chosen LSC Player of the Year last season, was tabbed as the preseason player of the year. The 6-foot-4 senior guard averaged 18.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.

A tight competition is expected this season. While the Hounds finished ninth, they were in a three-way tie for seventh place after starting the LSC season 1-7. The three teams in that tiebreaker — Angelo State, Midwestern State and ENMU — were three wins out of a separate three-team tiebreaker for fourth place.

With 84 points in the poll, the Greyhounds were well behind eighth-place Cameron (84) but well ahead of last-place Western New Mexico (29).

Second-year coach Tres Segler said he is hopeful to contend for an LSC championship, and that the Greyhounds can make a push this season before the conference expands.

“As always,” Segler said, “I know every one of these (coaches) are going to say the same thing. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be in this conference.”

The ENMU men will play Arizona Christian Monday and the University of Arizona Tuesday in exhibition games, and open the season Nov. 11 against Fort Lewis. Like the ENMU women, the men will also open their home season Nov. 30 against Texas-Permian Basin.

The LSC will hold its postseason tournament March 1-4 at Dr Pepper Arena in Frisco, Texas, with the eight top finishers for men and women invited.