Oklahoma City – The defending regular season and tournament champions find themselves as the favorites again this year as Langston was voted as the top team in the 2023-24 Sooner Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll as voted on by the league’s coaches.
The Lions received 121 points and 11 first-place votes to top the list after finishing last year with an overall record of 31-3 and 20-2 in conference action. Langston defeated Wayland Baptist 80-68 in the tournament final last season and advanced to the round of 16 in the NAIA National Tournament before falling to Georgetown (Ky.) 74-60. The Lions will look to make consecutive trips to the national tournament.
Wayland Baptist will start the season in the second position with 111 points and one first-place vote after wrapping up the 2022-23 season with an overall record of 23-9 and 16-6 in conference action. The Pioneers fell in the conference final to Langston and advanced to the NAIA Tournament before falling to Antelope Valley in the first round 77-68. Wayland will look for back-to-back berths in the national tournament.
Southwestern Assemblies of God earned third place in the preseason poll with 93 points after finishing in a tie for third place with a league mark of 14-8 and an overall mark of 20-10. The Lions fell to Langston in the conference semifinals last year 80-76 before advancing to the second round of the NAIA Tournament and dropping a 74-68 decision to Tougaloo (Miss.).
Science & Arts checks into the preseason list in the fourth position with 88 points after also tying for third place in the regular season with an overall record of 17-12 and 14-8 in league play. The Drovers dropped a 100-92 decision to SAGU in the SAC Tournament quarterfinal and will look to join the NAIA post-season for the 12
th time in school history.
Texas Wesleyan rounds out the top five with 85 points in the voting after finishing last season with a 14-15 overall record and an 11-11 conference record. The Rams fell in the conference quarterfinals last year to Oklahoma City by a score of 90-80 and will look to make their 19
th appearance in the NAIA Tournament.
The complete preseason poll is listed below.
- Langston 121 (11)
- Wayland Baptist 111 (1)
- SAGU 93
- Science & Arts 88
- Texas Wesleyan 85
- Mid-America Christian 72
- Oklahoma City 58
- UNT – Dallas 44
- John Brown 42
- Southwestern Christian 35
- Panhandle State 27
- Central Christian 16