MANSFIELD - The PSAC coaches have chimed in on who they think will rule the conference this basketball season. The results are mixed in Mansfield, where the Mountaineer men are picked to finish third, while the women were predicted to end up last in the conference.
The MU men return nearly everyone from last year's PSAC playoff team, including Yuseff Carr - a first-team preseason All-PSAC selection. For the second straight year, Mansfield received a lone first-place vote, and once again it came from Head Coach Rich Miller.
Nationally-ranked Kutztown is the pick to win the conference, with West Chester just behind in second.
Mansfield's women's team is by far the least experienced in the league, with just one senior and two juniors on the entire roster. Still, Head Coach Ruth Hermansen tells 18 Sports that she expects the team to contend for a playoff spot. Athens grad Mallory Hafer is the lone senior on the squad.
To hear more from the players, check out the video link from Thursday's 18 Sports at 6pm. The complete preseason polls are included below.
PSAC Women’s Basketball Preseason PollEast
1. West Chester (3)
2. Millersville (3)
3. Kutztown (2)
4. Shippensburg
5. Cheyney
6. Bloomsburg
7. East Stroudsburg
8. Mansfield
West
1. California (5)
2. Gannon (2)
3. IUP
4. Edinboro (1)
5. Mercyhurst
6. Clarion
7. Slippery Rock
8. Lock Haven
PSAC Men’s Basketball Preseason PollEast
1. Kutztown (5)
2. West Chester (2)
3. Mansfield (1)
4. Cheyney
5. Shippensburg
6. East Stroudsburg
7. Millersville
8. Bloomsburg
West
1. IUP (5)
2. California (1)
3. Gannon (1)
4. Slippery Rock
5. Mercyhurst (1)
6. Edinboro
7. Clarion
8. Lock Haven