Tops Picked To Win SBC, Slaughter Pre-Season POY

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With preseason practice underway, the Sun Belt Conference released its 2009 Preseason Poll and Preseason All-Conference teams on Tuesday morning in conjunction with Sun Belt Men’s Basketball Media Days. Western Kentucky University is an overwhelming favorite to win the East Division for a third-straight year while senior guard AJ Slaughter, one of four Hilltoppers selected to the Preseason All-Conference team, was tabbed as the Preseason Player of the Year.

In addition to Slaughter’s All-SBC First-Team selection, juniors Sergio Kerusch and Steffphon Pettigrew were named to the Sun Belt All-Conference Second-Team while senior Jeremy Evans was a Third-Team honoree.

Garnering 12 of a possible 13 first-place tallies, WKU was selected as the favorite to win the East Division with 77 points. Troy picked up the remaining first-place vote and is second with 62 points. Middle Tennessee (53 points), South Alabama (40 points), Florida Atlantic (21 points), and FIU (20 points) complete the projected East Division standings.

WKU was also tabbed as the preseason pick by Blue Ribbon magazine released in September as the publication selected Slaughter as the Player of the Year.

Under first-year head coach Ken McDonald, WKU won its sixth East Division title in nine years last season with a 15-3 league record. Highlighting the team’s 25-win season was a trip to the NCAA Tournament, including a first round victory over fifth-seeded Illinois and coming within one second of upsetting 10th-ranked Gonzaga and advancing to the program’s second-straight Sweet 16.

The West Division balloting was less clear-cut with five of the seven teams receiving a first-place vote. North Texas (85 points) was awarded the lion’s share with nine while the second through fifth-place teams each picked up one top tally. Denver (73 points) was second in the voting followed by Louisiana-Lafayette (56 points), UALR (53 points), ULM (45 points), Arkansas State (36 points), and New Orleans (17 points).

Slaughter led the Hilltoppers and ranked sixth in the Sun Belt in scoring last season averaging 16.0 points per game. In addition to earning Sun Belt All-Conference Second-Team honors, he shared the Clem Haskins Most Valuable Player award with backcourt mate Orlando Mendez-Valdez. The 6-3 senior guard from Shelbyville, Ky. averaged 17.3 ppg during the Sun Belt Tournament, leading WKU to the program’s seventh tournament title, and earning Most Valuable Player honors.

In the NCAA Tournament, after scoring 14 in the first round win over Illinois, Slaughter poured in 24 against #10 Gonzaga. He turned in a career-night with 25 points and nine rebounds in the Toppers’ 68-54 upset of #3 Louisville on November 30. Just two days later, Slaughter tallied 20 in a win over Georgia, just one of his team-best 10 performances with 20 or more points on the season.

Slaughter enters the 2009-10 season with 986 career points, needing just 14 to become the 43rd member of the prestigious 1,000-point club at WKU.

In his first season with the Hilltoppers, Kerusch led the team in rebounding and ranked second in the Sun Belt at 7.4 rpg. His 11.2 ppg were fourth best on the team and 26th in the league. Named to the Sun Belt All-Tournament team, the junior from Memphis, Tenn. poured in 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the Toppers’ tournament semifinal win over North Texas on March 9. One of the league leaders in double doubles with 10, Kerusch turned in a career-high 26 points to go with 12 rebounds in a home win over FIU on February 21, the 1,600th win in the program’s illustrious 90-year history.

Kerusch’s final double double of the season came on March 19 when he recorded 14 points and 11 rebounds in WKU’s NCAA Tournament win over Illinois.

Pettigrew, in his first year as a starter for the Hilltoppers, finished third on the team and 14th in the Sun Belt in scoring at 12.7 ppg. Considered one of the best defenders in the Sun Belt, the junior from Elizabethtown, Ky. received the Bobby Rascoe Defensive Player of the Year Award last season. In addition, the 6-5 forward was 17th in the league in rebounding at 5.1 rpg while shooting 38.1 percent from the three-point line, 12th best in the Sun Belt.

After scoring a then-career-high 20 points in a key early season win over Southern Illinois on November 26, Pettigrew posted his first career double double just four days later, pouring in 17 points to go with 12 rebounds in a 68-54 upset win over #3 Louisville. Pettigrew recorded the two highest individual scoring outputs by a Hilltopper in 2008-09 with 27 points against UALR and career-best 28 coming at FIU.

Evans enters his senior season third on WKU’s career blocked shots list (163), tied for sixth in career starts (96), and just 10 field goals shy of ranking first all-time in career field goal percentage at .635. The 6-9 senior from Crossett, Ark. contributed 8.8 ppg and 5.7 rpg while leading the team in blocked shots with 68 last season. His 63.4 shooting percentage in 2008-09 ranks as the fifth best single season performance all-time.

In a January 5 contest at Mississippi State, Evans had 19 points and 10 rebounds, one of his four double doubles on the season. He set new career-highs for points with 22 to go with 12 rebounds in a February 2 win at Arkansas State after connecting on 10-of-12 shots from the field. Against #10 Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament, Evans scored 11 points and grabbed six rebounds while blocking five shots.

In addition to Slaughter, Nate Rohnert (Denver), Desmond Yates (Middle Tennessee), Eric Tramiel (North Texas), and Brandon Hazzard (Troy) make up the five-member First-Team.

Chris Gradnigo (Louisiana-Lafayette), Josh White (North Texas), and Richard Delk (Troy) joined Kerusch and Pettigrew on the Second-Team while the Third-Team consists of Donald Boone (Arkansas State), Tony Hooper (ULM), Malcolm Thomas (ULM), Michael Vogler (Troy), and Evans.

WKU will host Xavier (La.) on Tuesday, November 10 at 7:00 PM in the team’s lone exhibition game. The Toppers open up the regular season on November 16 against Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the 25th Dick’s Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off in Baton Rouge, La.

2009 SUN BELT CONFERENCE
PRESEASON COACHES POLL
OCTOBER 26, 2009

EAST DIVISION
1. WKU (12) 77
2. Troy (1) 62
3. Middle Tennessee 53
4. South Alabama 40
5. Florida Atlantic 21
6. FIU 20

WEST DIVISION
1. North Texas (9) 85
2. Denver (1) 73
3. Louisiana-Lafayette (1) 56
4. UALR (1) 53
5. ULM (1) 45
6. Arkansas State 36
7. New Orleans 17

2009 SUN BELT CONFERENCE
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE
OCTOBER 26, 2009

First-Team
Nate Rohnert, Denver
Desmond Yates, Middle Tennessee
Eric Tramiel, North Texas
Brandon Hazzard, Troy
AJ Slaughter, WKU

Second-Team
Chris Gradingo, Louisiana-Lafayette
Josh White, North Texas
Richard Delk, Troy
Sergio Kerusch, WKU
Steffphon Pettigrew, WKU

Third-Team
Donald Boone, Arkansas State
Tony Hooper, ULM
Malcolm Thomas, ULM
Michael Vogler, Troy
Jeremy Evans, WKU

Preseason Player of the Year
AJ Slaughter, WKU