McNeese picked eighth by Southland Conference coaches, SIDs

McNeese basketball was picked to finish eighth in the 13-team Southland Conference in both preseason polls, the league announced Thursday morning.

Cowboys senior point guard Jamaya Burr, a third-team All-Southland selection last season, was named a preseason second-team all-conference player — the only McNeese individual player to garner honors.

Burr, the league’s eighth-leading scorer last season, averaged 15.4 points and is the team’s top returning scorer off a 9-20 campaign where it finished 7-11 in conference. Burr, along sophomores James Greenwood and James Harvey, make up the bulk of the Cowboys returning scoring.

Still without junior college transfer and shot-blocker LaBarrius Hill, who went down with an injury in the team’s first week of practice, McNeese scrimmaged at Grambling State last Saturday morning.

“It was a situation where we were trying to make it as tough as we can,” Cowboys coach Dave Simmons said Monday. “Some of the kids played well. The two biggest bright spots were James Harvey — he took off where he took off from last year. Shot the ball extremely well. The big surprise was Richard Laku. He got more minutes and played well. A lot of bright spots.”

Without the 6-foot-8 Hill, though, the Cowboys neglected to rebound the basketball to Simmons’ likening.

Simmons expected Hill, who originally signed with Louisiana Tech this spring but did not enroll, to return to practice this week.

Sam Houston State edged Stephen F. Austin for the preseason league titles in both polls, one of which was voted on by coaches and the other by the conference’s sports information directors.

2016-17 Preseason Polls

Coaches’ Poll (1st Place Votes)
1. Sam Houston State (6), 138
2. Stephen F. Austin (6), 137
3. A&M-Corpus Christi (1), 123
4. Northwestern State, 93
5. Houston Baptist, 91
6. Abilene Christian, 75
7. Southeastern Louisiana, 66
8. McNeese, 64
9. New Orleans, 63
10. Incarnate Word, 58
11. Central Arkansas, 49
12. Lamar, 33
13. Nicholls 24

SID Poll (1st Place Votes)
1. Sam Houston State (7), 137
2. Stephen F. Austin (5), 135
3. A&M-Corpus Christi (1), 123
4. Houston Baptist, 92
5. Northwestern State, 77
6. Abilene Christian, 75
7. McNeese, 68
8. Southeastern Louisiana, 65
9. Central Arkansas, 64
10. New Orleans, 62
11. Incarnate Word, 54
12. Lamar, 34
13. Nicholls, 28

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