ENMU women 10th, men 15th in LSC basketball poll

RICHARDSON, Texas — Eastern New Mexico University’s women were picked 10th while the men came in 15th in preseason Lone Star Conference basketball polls released on Monday by the league office.

Seventeen LSC schools have basketball, with Dallas Baptist competing on the men’s side and Texas Woman’s on the women’s side only.

While the polls reflect 1-through-16 finishes, the conference will actually have two eight-team divisions, with each squad playing home-and-home against division foes and once against each team on the other side for a total of 22 league contests.

West Texas A&M was No. 1 on both sides, with the Buffaloes garnering 36 of 39 first-place votes for the men while the Lady Buffs accumulated 31 of 39.

ENMU’s women garnered 233 points in the poll while the men tallied 95, finishing ahead of Cameron (68).

The polls reflect opinions of LSC head coaches, sports information directors and various media representatives.

WT’s men are seeking their first regular-season title since 2020, but have won the conference tournament five years in a row and earned NCAA Division II berths in each of those campaigns.

Dallas Baptist, seeking a sixth consecutive D-II South Central Regional appearance, was tabbed for second on the men’s side while defending regular-season champion Lubbock Christian was third and earned two of the other three first-place votes. The remaining first-place tally went to Texas-Permian Basin, although the Falcons came in just 10th in the poll.

WT’s women are seeking back-to-back regular-season and LSC tournament titles after posting a 26-11 record and reaching the NCAA Division II Elite Eight last season for the first time since 2016. The Lady Buffs defeated 2021 NCAA champion Lubbock Christian in the South Central Regional finals.

LCU, 28-7 last season, was chosen for second place in the poll, followed by Texas Woman’s. Those teams split the remaining eight first-place votes.

A total of 14 men and 14 women were chosen as LSC preseason players to watch. Senior guard Eze Dike represented the Hounds on the men’s list, while senior forward Edecia Beck earned the recognition for the ENMU women.

ENMU’s men, led by third-year coach Brent Owen, are slated to be in Phoenix on Friday for an exhibition game against Division I Grand Canyon.

The Greyhounds open regular-season play for both the men and the women, who are under second-year coach Meghan De los Reyes, on Nov. 11-12 in the LSC/Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Challenge at Las Vegas, N.M., hosted by New Mexico Highlands. Both ENMU squads play Fort Lewis on the first day and Highlands on the second.

ENMU’s men finished 7-17 (3-11 LSC) in 2021-22, enduring an 11-game losing streak after nearly reaching the .500 mark (6-7) in midseason. Meantime, the women posted a 10-14 mark (6-10 LSC).