AUGUSTA, Ga. – The University of South Carolina Aiken men's basketball team has been selected to win the Peach Belt Conference Championship, as voted on by the league's coaches and announced by the league office Friday.
The Pacers earned 11 of the 14 first-place nods. GRU Augusta was second, claiming two first-place votes while Montevallo was third in the league. The Falcons garnered the remaining first-place vote. North Georgia and UNC Pembroke round out the top five in the league.
Georgia Southwestern, Columbus State, Lander, Francis Marion and Young Harris complete the top 10 while Armstrong, Flagler, Georgia College and Clayton State round out the conference.
The Pacers were 25-8 last year, including a 15-4 record league mark en route to claiming the Peach Belt Conference regular-season title. Head coach Vince Alexander's team won the league tournament and hosted the Southeast Regional. The Pacers rolled through the regional, downing Belmont Abbey (94-76), Wingate (69-57) and Barton (82-75) to earn their Elite Eight berth in Louisville, Ky. In the Elite Eight, USC Aiken fell to eventual national champion Drury, 84-75.
Alexander returns virtually his entire line-up from last year's Elite Eight squad. The team features 10 seniors and three sophomores, including two newcomers.
The 2013-14 team features seniors Rick Alderman (6.0 ppg., 2.9 rpg.), who redshirted last year, Kinley Branch (7.4 ppg., 3.6 rpg.), Santoine Butler (12.1 ppg., 6.6 rpg.), Paul Larsen (12.9 ppg., 9.0 rpg.), Shane Porchea (2.2 ppg.), Derrick Scott (2.8 ppg.), Jesse Seilern (9.7 ppg., 38 steals), DeVontae Wright (8.2 ppg., 86 assists), Ronald Zimmerman (15.3 ppg.., .454 from the three-point line) and Alvin Brown (8.9 ppg., 5.9 rpg., 3.3 bpg.), who returns to the Pacers after sitting out the last two seasons. Brown was named the PBC Defensive Player of the Year for the 2010-11 campaign.
The Pacers open the season Nov. 8 against P.R.-Bayamon in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. The team has two preseason road exhibition games, including one at Mississippi tonight and Nov. 3 at South Carolina (free admission). USC Aiken's first home game is Nov. 12 against Allen at 7 p.m.
Rank
|
Team
|
1st
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
4th
|
5th
|
6th
|
7th
|
8th
|
9th
|
10th
|
11th
|
12th
|
13th
|
Total
|
| 1. |
USC Aiken
|
11 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
167 |
| t2. |
GRU Augusta |
2 |
5 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
150 |
| t2. |
Montevallo |
1 |
6 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
150 |
| 4. |
North Georgia |
0 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
134 |
| 5. |
UNC Pembroke |
0 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
119 |
| 6. |
Georgia Southwestern |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
92 |
| 7. |
Columbus State |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
80 |
| 8. |
Lander |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
77 |
| 9. |
Francis Marion |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
75 |
| 10. |
Young Harris |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
63 |
| 11. |
Armstrong |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
50 |
| 12. |
Flagler |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
46 |
| 13. |
Georgia College |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
3 |
4 |
40 |
| 14. |
Clayton State |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
38 |
