USA South Athletic Conference releases preseason basketball polls

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The USA South Athletic Conference released its preseason men's and women's basketball polls on Wednesday.

LaGrange College is the preseason No. 1 in the men's poll and Greensboro and Maryville are Divisional No. 1 teams in the women's poll. With 16 women's teams in the USA South, the conference released an East Division poll and a West Division poll instead of an overall poll.

The Huntingdon women are ranked fifth in the West Division poll with 27 points. The Hawks are ranked 10th in the men's poll with 20 points.

Defending conference champion Maryville received six of a possible eight first-place votes and totaled 48 points in the West Division poll. Piedmont was second with two first-place votes and 43 points, followed by LaGrange in third with 36 points and Covenant in fourth with 29 points.

In the East Division, No. 1 Greensboro had three first-place votes and 44 points, No. 2 Ferrum picked up three first-place votes and 41 points and No. 3 Methodist totaled one first-place vote and 40 points. Fourth-place Averett (35 points) also received one first-place vote.

In the men's poll, LaGrange received four of the possible 11 first-place votes and 90 points. Piedmont was second with one first-place vote and 77 points and Covenant was third with three first-place votes and 70 points.

Fourth-place Maryville picked up one first-place vote, as did seventh-place North Carolina Wesleyan and eighth-place Averett.

The Huntingdon men open the season at home on Nov. 15 against Berry at 7 p.m. The Huntingdon women open the season in Raleigh, N.C. in the Jackie Ammons Memorial Tournament on Nov. 18.

The complete polls are listed below.

USA South Women's Basketball Preseason Poll

West Division

1. Maryville (6 first-place votes), 48 points

2. Piedmont (2), 43 points

3. LaGrange, 36 points

4. Covenant, 29 points

5. Huntingdon, 27 points

6. Salem, 20 points

7. Agnes Scott, 14 points

8. Wesleyan, 7 points

East Division 

1. Greensboro (3 first-place votes), 44 points

2. Ferrum (3), 41 points                                                                                                 

3. Methodist (1), 40 points

4. Averett (1), 35 points

T5. Meredith, 22 points

T5. N.C. Wesleyan, 22 points

7. William Peace, 12 points

8. Mary Baldwin, 8 points

USA South Men's Basketball Preseason Poll

1. LaGrange (4 first-place votes), 90 points

2. Piedmont (1), 77 points

3. Covenant (3), 70 points

4. Maryville (1), 69 points

T5. Greensboro, 59 points

T5. William Peace, 59 points

7. N.C. Wesleyan (1), 55 points

8. Averett (1), 48 points

9. Ferrum, 46 points

10. Huntingdon, 20 points

11. Methodist, 12 points