With less than five and a half weeks remaining until scheduled tip-off of the 2021 Great American Conference men’s basketball season, the league announced the preseason coaches polls for the two sixteam divisions which surfaced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic shortening the 2020-21 campaign to a conference-only, spring slate of 20 games. Topping the GAC’s Eastern Division as a result of receiving 24 total points and four of six first-place votes is Southern Arkansas which also garnered a single vote to win the league title.
SAU edged Henderson State for the top spot in the east as the latter placed second with 22 total points and the remaining two first-place votes in addition to claiming a single vote to capture the league championship. Arkansas Tech and Arkansas-Monticello each received 14 total points, while Ouachita (11) and Harding (5) rounded out the eastern division.
Led by head coach Andy Sharpe, who enters his ninth season, the Muleriders enter the new year well positioned to live up to the preseason hype. Nine players which saw meaningful action a season ago, including three Muleriders that started all 29 games and four more that played in at least 25 contests, remain in the fold for the Sharpe.
Headlining that group are the Brooks brothers; senior forward Devante and junior combo Jalen, who each earned All-Great American Conference honors following the 2019-20 season. Senior trigger man Aaron Lucas, who last season led the team in scoring with over 14.0 ppg and in minutes played with over 1,000, provides key experience in the Mulerider backcourt.
Redshirt Senior Charlie Thomas returns for his final year as a Mulerider and will once again be relied upon to offer an imposing presence in the SAU front court. In limited action last season, Thomas shot just under 57 percent from the floor. A trio of players who saw action as true freshmen a year ago are back for their sophomore seasons. Guard Dodge Brown, SAU’s top three-point shooter as a freshman, played in all 29 games last season making seven starts, while forward Jessie Davis Jr. saw time in 25 games finishing with the third-highest shooting clip on the team at over 50 percent. Guard Josh Ukpe will look to expand upon the experience gained in six games last season.
Key defenders in senior guard Trey Davis and redshirt sophomore guard Trent Ivy combined to average nearly two steals and a half block per game in 2019-20. Ivy ranked third on the team in assists last season, while Davis logged over 20 minutes per game and the duo each finished in the top five on the team in rebounds and rebounding average.
Additionally, Southern Arkansas will benefit from the services of two freshmen who spent the last season in a redshirt role for the program: guard Connor Harvey and forward Logan Bradley. Joining that pair on the court for the first time as Muleriders are four junior college transfers that are poised to be highly impactful in their first year at Southern Arkansas. Kris Wyche (Seminole State), Blake Rogers (Jones College), Tyler Garrett (Labette CC) and Victor Ihrihri (San Diego City College).
The Muleriders open their league slate on Thursday, January 7, in Arkadelphia against Henderson State.
Lady Muleriders third
in Eastern Division
On the women’s side in the Eastern Division, the Lady Muleriders were picked in a tie for third.
Led by third-year coach Adam Collins, the Lady Muleriders also tip off on January 7 in Arkadelphia against the other team picked tied for third, Henderson State.
The teams will play a 20-game schedule versus the other five teams in the Eastern Division.
SAU tips off at the W. T. Watson Center on January 9 against Ouachita Baptist, who was picked tied for fifth in the Eastern Division.
The Lady Muleriders return the top four scorers from last season’s team, which was responsible for the biggest turnaround in Division II a season ago, and made the GAC Conference Tournament for the first time since 2016.
In all, 11 players return from last year’s team, with the addition of three transfers and a true freshman.
Notable returners include All-GAC selection Kisi Young, as well as leading scorers Diamond Morris, Kylie Warren and Ariana Guinn.
Following the opening weekend of the season, SAU will host Arkansas-Monticello (picked tied for fifth) on January 11, then go on the road for Arkansas Tech on January 14 (picked second) and Harding (picked first) on January 16.