Men's Basketball Finishes Fourth In CCS Preseason Poll
ATLANTA, Ga.- In the conference's annual poll voted on by the head coaches, Huntingdon men's basketball was selected to finish fourth with 20 total points.
Maryville College's men's basketball team has been selected as the preseason favorite in the 2024 Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) Men's Basketball Preseason Poll. After a strong performance in the 2023-24 season, the Scots earned six of the seven first-place votes from the league’s head coaches and look to build on their success. Belhaven, voted second, will be looking to avenge the last two seasons. The rivalry has become a staple of the CCS, with Maryville and Belhaven meeting for the title in back-to-back years, and both teams are hungry for another shot at glory in 2024.
With 36 points in the preseason poll, Maryville is poised to maintain its dominance as a conference leader, marking the third consecutive year they've been voted atop the CCS rankings. After a standout 2023-24 season in which the Scots finished 22-5 overall and 11-1 in conference play, they are looking to build on that success. Maryville returns its top three leading scorers—Chase Morgan, R.J. Simmons, and Reed Kemp, the 2023-24 CCS Player of the Year, under the leadership of the 2023-24 Coach of the Year Raul Placeres.
Belhaven is ranked second in the preseason poll with 30 points and is eager to build on a strong 2023-24 season in which the Blazers reached the conference final. They finished with a solid 8-4 record in conference play and an overall mark of 18-10. This season, Belhaven returns key contributors, including Jermario Hershey and Jacob Reese, the 2023-24 CCS Sixth Man of the Year, as they look to make another deep run in the championship race.
LaGrange was voted third with 26 points, including one first-place vote. After a productive 2023 season, the Panthers are poised for an impactful campaign this year. They advanced to the CCS semifinals last season, finishing with an overall record of 15-12 and a 6-6 mark at home. LaGrange returns key players, including standouts Samuel Moss and Brodie Scott, as they aim to build on their recent success.
Huntingdon was picked to finish fourth this season with 20 points, following a 12-14 overall record and a 6-6 mark in conference play last year. The Hawks also return 2023-24 Rookie of the Year, BJ Brown.
Piedmont is ranked fifth with 16 points, coming off a 16-11 overall record and a 6-6 conference mark. The Lions also return all-conference player Fisher Darden. Just behind in sixth place with 12 points is Asbury, which is in its first season as a CCS member. Last year, Asbury finished with an overall record of 17-11.
Covenant rounds out the preseason poll at seventh place with seven points.
Conference play kicks off on Saturday, January 4, with several conference teams taking to the court. Follow all the CCS basketball action with updated scores, schedules at standings at www.
The 2024 CCS Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament starts with the Top 6 teams on Tuesday, February 25 and the championship game is scheduled for Saturday, March 1 hosted by the highest-seeded team.
Below is a look at the 2024 CCS Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll. First-place votes are in parentheses:
2024 CCS MEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL
1. Maryville - 36 points (6)
2. Belhaven - 30 points
3. LaGrange - 26 points (1)
4. Huntingdon - 20 points
5. Piedmont – 16 points
6. Asbury - 12 points
7. Covenant - 7 points
The Hawks get their 2024 season underway tomorrow, November 8th, traveling to face Sewanee. Gametime is set for 7:00 PM CT.