Oral Roberts University is the team to beat in its new conference.
The Southland Conference released its preseason men’s basketball polls Thursday and the Golden Eagles were picked first by league sports information directors and league coaches.
Stephen F. Austin was selected second in both polls and collected the only first-place votes that did not go to ORU. The Lumberjacks posted a 20-12 record last season.
ORU won a school-record 27 games and a regular season conference championship last year, when the Golden Eagles were in their Summit League farewell tour.
The Southland Conference also released its preseason all-league team. Two ORU players -- senior guard Warren Niles and junior Steven Roundtree -- were selected to the second team. Any returning Southland Conference players who made all-league the year before were automatically slotted onto the preseason all-conference team.
Stephen F. Austin returns two all-conference players, senior guard Antonio Bostic and senior forward Taylor Smith.
2012-13 Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason Polls
Coaches Poll
Team (first place votes) Total
1. Oral Roberts (7) 77
2. Stephen F. Austin (3) 72
3. Northwestern State 61
4. McNeese State 55
5. Lamar 45
6. Southeastern Louisiana 42
7. Sam Houston State 38
8t. Nicholls State 24
8t. Central Arkansas 24
10. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 12
Sports Information Directors Poll
Team (first place votes) Total
1. Oral Roberts (6) 77
2. Stephen F. Austin (4) 72
3t. Lamar 57
3t. McNeese State 57
5. Northwestern State 56
6. Sam Houston State 40
7. Southeastern Louisiana 33
8. Nicholls State 27
9. Central Arkansas 18
10. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 13
2012-13 Men’s Basketball Preseason All-Southland Conference Team
First Team
Name, Class, Pos., School, Hometown
Antonio Bostic, Sr., G, Stephen F. Austin, Shawnee, Kan.
Shamir Davis, Sr., G, Northwestern State, Shreveport, La.
LaQuentin Miles, Jr., G, Central Arkansas, Jacksonville, Ark.
Brandon Fortenberry, Sr., G, Sourtheastern La., Picayune, Miss.
Taylor Smith, Sr., F/C, Stephen F. Austin, Schertz, Texas.
Second Team
Warren Niles, Sr., G, Oral Roberts, Cincinnati, Ohio
Dontae Cannon, Sr., G, McNeese State, Alexandria, La.
James Hulbin, Sr., F, Northwestern State, Shreveport, La.
Fred Hunter, Sr., F, Nicholls State Denton, Texas
Steven Roundtree, Jr., F, Oral Roberts Jacksonville, Fla.
