ASUN Preseason Polls

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Eastern Kentucky University's men's basketball team was chosen to win the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship this season in two preseason polls conducted by the league office and released today at the 2023 ASUN Basketball Tipoff event in Clarksville, Tennessee.
 
The Colonels were picked first by wide margins in the ASUN Preseason Coaches Poll and the ASUN Preseason Media Poll.
 
Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at EKUSports.com or by calling 859-622-2122.  Fans can also purchase in person from 9-5 p.m. at the ticket office located in the Olympic Sports Training Center.
 
EKU received eight of a possible 11 first-place votes in the Coaches Poll and a total of 140 points.  Florida Gulf Coast was picked second with 106 points.  Kennesaw State (103) in fourth, North Alabama (74) in seventh, Austin Peay (71) in eighth and North Florida (36) in 11th received one first-place vote each.
 
The Colonels were picked first on 32 of 46 ballots in the Media Poll and totaled 552 points.  Kennesaw State received six first-place votes and was second with 444 points.  FGCU (382) had two first-place votes and was fourth.  North Florida (252) in eight was picked first on four ballots.  Austin Peay (170) had two first-place votes and was picked 11th.
 
EKU has also been picked to win the ASUN Conference by The Almanac, ESPN and Lindy's Sports.
 
Four starters and a total of 11 players return from EKU's 2022-23 team that finished the season with a 23-14 record and advanced to the championship of the College Basketball Invitational (CBI).  EKU returns 84 percent of its scoring, 74 percent of its rebounds, 88 percent of its assists, 74 percent of its steals and 76 percent of its blocks from 2022-23.
 
Among the returning starters are Preseason ASUN Player of the Year Devontae Blanton and unanimous Preseason ASUN Defensive Player of the Year Isaiah Cozart.  Both were also selected to the Preseason All-ASUN Team as selected by league coaches.