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FRISCO, Texas - Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin and Nicholls have been selected as the preseason favorites to win the Southland Conference men's basketball regular-season championship by a vote of the league's head coaches, the conference office announced Wednesday.

Sam Houston State received the most first-place votes in the coaches' poll. The Bearkats were picked to successfully defend their division title from a season ago, collecting seven first-place votes and 61 points. The coaches picked Stephen F. Austin to defend its East Division title with 58 points.

Behind Sam Houston, the coaches picked Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to finish second followed by UTSA, UT Arlington, Lamar and Texas State. Four head coaches tabbed the Islanders to win the division. UTSA garnered one first-place vote.

Stephen F. Austin, the 2008-09 Southland Conference regular-season and tournament champion, edged Nicholls by a slim two-point margin, 58-56 as the East Division favorite and overall No. 2 pick. Nicholls received four first-place votes and 56 points, while Southeastern Louisiana was picked third, garnering three first-place votes and 48 points. Northwestern State, McNeese State and Central Arkansas round out the six coaches' picks in the East Division.

The top two teams in each division automatically qualify for the 2010 State Farm Southland Conference Basketball Tournament, March 10-13, at the Merrell Center in Katy, Texas. The four teams with the next-best winning percentages round out the tournament's field of eight. However, Central Arkansas is ineligible for tournament consideration because of its transition from NCAA Division II to Division I.

Sam Houston returns eight lettermen including starters Corey Allmond, Ashton Mitchell and Preston Brown. Other returning lettermen include Lance Pevehouse, Drae Murray, Josten Crow, Antuan Bootle and Arthur Zulu.

The 2009-10 season gets underway Friday, Nov. 13 when eight Southland teams take to the court. Sam Houston will face a challenging pre-Southland schedule that includes six home games at Johnson Coliseum in November and December.

$1 general admission and $5 reserved tickets for all men's and women's basketball games in November and December will be made available in a special promotional offer for just 72 hours beginning at 10 a.m. on Wednesday November 11.  

Area fans may purchase tickets online only via www.gobearkats.com for this one-time only opportunity to see any or all of those six contests for just $1 a game.

Use this link to learn more about the $1 Basketball Ticket Sale for 72-Hours for November and December basketball home games.

For more information on tickets to all Bearkat home athletic events, go to www.gobearkats.com or contact the Sam Houston athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium. Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The ticket office telephone number is (936) 294-1729.

Southland Preseason Head Coaches Poll

East (First-place votes)............................... Points
1.     Stephen F. Austin (5)................................ 58
2.     Nicholls (4)............................................... 56
3.     Southeastern Louisiana (3)........................ 48
4.     Northwestern State................................... 41
5.     McNeese State......................................... 25
6.     Central Arkansas...................................... 18