AUGUSTA, Ga. – The University of
South Carolina Aiken men's basketball team was chosen sixth
in the 2011-12 Peach Belt Conference Men's Basketball
Preseason Poll.
The poll was released from the conference office in Augusta, Ga.
on Tuesday, Nov. 1. Teams were given 12 points for a first-place
vote, 11 for a second and so forth. Coaches were not permitted to
rank their own teams.
Georgia Southwestern was tabbed the
league favorite, while UNC Pembroke was picked second. Clayton
State and Augusta State were tied for third in the preseason
tally.
USC Aiken has won a school-record 89
games over the last four seasons.
Last year, the Pacers ended the year
without a spot in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional for the
first time in four seasons. USC Aiken entered the 2010-11 season in
the preseason top 15 nationally.
The 2010-11 season in the end did not go
quite as planned for the Pacers, but nevertheless the Pacers still
finished second in the Peach Belt Conference East Division with a
10-8 mark in league play. USC Aiken concluded the year with a 17-10
record overall.
USC Aiken finished the 2010-11 regular
season having won six of their final eight games to figure in the
regional rankings heading into the 2011 Peach Belt Conference
Tournament. USC Aiken was upset by eventual Peach Belt Conference
Tournament finalist UNC Pembroke on its home floor in the PBC
Quarterfinals, leaving the Pacers just shy of claiming their fourth
consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
Not making the NCAA Tournament for the
fourth consecutive year allowed head coach Vince Alexander and his
coaching staff the time to evaluate everything and to that end, the
Pacers have a stellar recruiting class joining a strong returning
nucleus that features 2011-12 Sporting News Preseason
All-America selection and 2010-11 Peach Belt Conference Defensive
Player of the Year Alvin Brown (Fort Washington, Md./James
Madison).
In total, USC Aiken welcomes back six
letterwinners (three starters) to go along with 10
newcomers.
For the second consecutive season, the Pacer men will open their
regular season at home against Voorhees. The Pacers and Tigers are
scheduled to tip things off at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 16.
Last year, USC Aiken easily downed Voorhees in its season opener,
winning 108-63 on Nov. 17, 2010.
A few days later on Saturday, Nov. 19, USC Aiken will hit the road
for the first time in the 2011-12 regular season for a contest with
first-time opponent Elizabeth City State in Elizabeth City, N.C.
Tip-off is slated for 3 p.m.
2011-12 Peach Belt Conference
Men's Basketball
Preseason Poll
1. Georgia Southwestern
2. UNC Pembroke
t3. Augusta State
t3. Clayton State
5. Montevallo
6. USC Aiken
7. Georgia College
8. Francis Marion
9. Columbus State
10. Armstrong Atlantic State
11. Lander
12. North Georgia
13. Flagler
2011-12 Peach Belt Conference Men's Basketball
Team-by-Team Preview - Click Link to Access
