Complete Polls and All-WAC Teams

DENVER, Colo. - The Western Athletic Conference announced its men's basketball preseason polls and all-WAC teams Tuesday with the University of Hawai`i Rainbow Warriors men's basketball team picked to finish ninth by both the coaches and media.

 

Utah State was selected to win the WAC in both the media and coaches' polls. Meanwhile, Nevada sophomore forward Luke Babbitt was tabbed the league's preseason Player of the Year by both the coaches and the media.

 

Roderick Flemings, a second-team all-WAC pick last year, was selected as a preseason all-WAC second teamer by the coaches. The senior led the team in scoring last year at 16.6 ppg.

 

Utah State, the 2008-09 WAC regular season and tournament champions, received eight first place votes and 64 points in the coaches' poll. Nevada captured second place with 53 points, receiving one first-place votes. New Mexico State took third place with 50 points. With 42 points, Idaho was voted fourth. Louisiana Tech (31) and Fresno State (30) followed in fifth and sixth place, respectively. Boise State (23) finished seventh and San Jose State (19) eighth, while Hawai'i (12) was ranked ninth.

 

In the media poll, Utah State received 273 points and 15 first-place votes. Nevada was picked second with 269 points and 12 first-place votes. New Mexico State garnered 226 points and six first place votes for third place, followed by Idaho with 193 points. Boise State was fifth with 145 points followed by Louisiana Tech (140) and Fresno State (130). San Jose State received a first place vote but is still slotted at eighth with 88 points. Hawai'i received 66 points to round out the poll.

 

Hawai'i finished the WAC regular-season in eighth place last year with a 5-11 mark. UH returns 10 letterwinners and four starters from last year's squad. The Rainbow Warriors, who officially began fall practice Friday, Oct. 16, play a pair of exhibition games versus UH Hilo (Oct. 30) and BYU-Hawai'i (Nov. 5), before opening the regular season versus San Francisco in the Verizon Wireless Tip-Off Classic on Nov. 13.