UNION TABBED TO WIN 2019-20 MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Published 12:21 am Thursday, October 24, 2019
- 2019-2020 MILLIGAN MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Union is the favorite to win the 2019-20 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Men’s Basketball Championship for the seventh straight time, according to the AAC Coaches’ Preseason Poll.
Union received 10 first-place votes to give it a total of 166 voting points. Last season the Bulldogs posted a 26-7 overall record and won the AAC regular season with an 18-4 record.
Union captured its sixth straight tournament championship and advanced to the NAIA DII National Championship Tournament. The Bulldogs fell to No. 22 Indiana University Kokomo in the first round.
Montreat is picked to finish second and received two first-place votes to earn 144 voting points. The Cavaliers ended 2018-19 with a 24-8 overall record and went 17-5 in league play.
Montreat was the tournament runner-up falling to Union in OT. The Cavaliers made it to the NAIA DII National Championship Tournament where they fell to No. 13 Mount Vernon Nazarene University in the opening round
Rounding out the top five are Milligan (1 first-place vote, 141 points), Bryan (127 points), and Bluefield (106 points).
Allen (91 points) comes in at six while Columbia International (90 points) and Reinhardt (90 points) tied for seventh. Truett McConnell (70 points), and Tennessee Wesleyan (56 points) make up the rest of the top 10.
Point (45 points), St. Andrews (41 points), and new conference member Kentucky Christian (16 points) round out the poll.
The top eight teams in the conference will advance to the 2020 AAC Tournament, which is set for Feb. 26-29 at the MeadowView Marriott Conference Resort & Convention Center in Kingsport, Tenn.
The 2019-20 AAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll
Team (1st-Place Votes) – Total Points
1. Union (10) – 166
2. Montreat (2) – 144
3. Milligan (1) – 141
4. Bryan – 127
5. Bluefield – 106
6. Allen – 91
T7. Columbia International – 90
T7. Reinhardt – 90
9. Truett McConnell – 70
10. Tennessee Wesleyan – 56
11. Point – 45
12. St. Andrews – 41
13. Kentucky Christian – 16
2019-20 MEN’S BASKETBALL ROSTER
| No. | Name | Pos. | Yr. | Ht. | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Matt Cole | F | Fr | 6-6 | Orlando, FL |
| 1 | Micah Paulk | G | Fr | 5-10 | Atlanta, GA |
| 2 | Teve Mushayamunda | G | Sr | 6-0 | Elizabethton, TN |
| 4 | Nathan Hastings | C | Sr | 6-10 | Knoxville, TN |
| 5 | Peter Olatunji | F | Fr | 6-8 | Kaduna State, Nigeria |
| 10 | Trevor Hensley | G | So | 6-2 | Erwin, TN |
| 11 | Tyler Faulkenberry | G | R-Jr | 6-3 | Mount Juliet, TN |
| 14 | Mike Featherston | G | Sr | 6-6 | Greensboro, NC |
| 20 | Desean Green | G | Sr | 6-2 | Houston, TX |
| 21 | Adam Graham | F | Fr | 6-5 | Bloomington, IN |
| 22 | Jacob Cawood | F | Sr | 6-6 | Kingston, TN |
| 24 | Tyler Nichols | F | Sr | 6-4 | Stoney Creek, TN |
| 35 | Sasha Kaiukov | G | So | 6-3 | St. Petersburg, Russia |
| 44 | Bo Pless | F | Sr | 6-5 |
Elizabethton, TN
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