Posted: Jan 13, 2021
Texas Lutheran picked second in SCAC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
SEGUIN, Texas -- Four-time Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference champion Texas Lutheran has been picked to finish second in the race for the 2021 SCAC Men's Basketball Championship, according to this year's SCAC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
In exclusive voting by the league's head coaches, the Bulldogs received 58 total points and three first-place votes in the preseason poll. The Bulldogs trailed preseason favorite St. Thomas (Texas) by just one total point in the poll. St. Thomas also edged out TLU in first-place votes, five to three.
The Bulldogs return 10 lettermen and four of their five starters from last season's conference runner-up squad. TLU's four returning starters are: senior guard Sebastian Andrade, senior forward Caleb Lister, senior guard Jamir Mason, and sophomore guard/forward Trystin Silas.
Andrade and Lister each earned SCAC Second Team All-Conference and SCAC All-Tournament honors a year ago. Andrade averaged 17.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. He made 43 three-pointers and 101 free throws.
Lister averaged 14.7 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. He made 46.1 percent of his total shots and 34.1 percent of his three-point attempts. Of his 249 total rebounds, 111 of those came on the offensive glass.
TLU again will be led by Head Coach Mike Wacker, who begins his fifth season with the Bulldogs. Wacker, who has guided TLU to a pair of SCAC Championships, has an overall record of 65-47 (.580) at TLU. In conference play, Wacker is 39-23 (.629).
TLU opens its 2020-21 season this weekend with a pair of games in Shreveport, La. against Centenary (La.). The Bulldogs and Gents first meet Friday at 8 p.m. The second game between the two will take place Saturday at 4 p.m. Both games will be played in Centenary's Gold Dome.
Centenary, the defending SCAC Tournament champion, received the remaining first-place vote. The Gents defeated TLU in the tournament final to claim the 2020 conference championship. The Gents advanced to the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship (first round).
Dallas and Trinity tied for fourth in the poll with 35 points. Those two teams were followed closely by Schreiner, in sixth with 34 total points. Southwestern checked in at seventh with 22 points. Austin College (21) and Colorado College (11) rounded out the poll.
The 2021 season begins on Friday with teams scheduled to play a 12-game, conference-only schedule in the regular season. The top eight teams, based on regular season results, will qualify for the 2021 SCAC Tournament, which is scheduled for March 4-6 in Georgetown, Texas at Southwestern University.
2021 SCAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses, followed by total points)
1. University of St. Thomas (5) 59
2. Texas Lutheran University (3) 58
3. Centenary College (1) 49
The 2021 season begins on Friday with teams scheduled to play a 12-game, conference-only schedule in the regular season. The top eight teams, based on regular season results, will qualify for the 2021 SCAC Tournament, which is scheduled for March 4-6 in Georgetown, Texas at Southwestern University.
2021 SCAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses, followed by total points)
1. University of St. Thomas (5) 59
2. Texas Lutheran University (3) 58
3. Centenary College (1) 49
4. University of Dallas 35
4. Trinity University 35
6. Schreiner University 34
7. Southwestern University 22
8. Austin College 21
9. Colorado College 11
4. Trinity University 35
6. Schreiner University 34
7. Southwestern University 22
8. Austin College 21
9. Colorado College 11