Buy Tickets | 2016-17 Schedule | Sun Belt Release

NEW ORLEANS, La. - Featuring a lineup that returns all five starters from last year's team that won a program-high 24 games, the UT Arlington men's basketball team was installed as the preseason favorite to win the Sun Belt Conference title in a poll of league coaches.

Junior forward Kevin Hervey was named the league's preseason Player of the Year, while classmate Erick Neal earned first team all-league honors. UTA claimed the Sun Belt preseason Player of the Year for both men and women's basketball this season with yesterday's announcement that Rebekah VanDijk earned the women's honor.

Led by 11th year head coach Scott Cross, the Mavericks received a total of 140 of a possible 144 points in the annual ranking, 16 ahead of runner-up Little Rock. 10 of the 12 league coaches placed UTA in the top spot on their ballot.

"Preseason rankings and polls are great conversation topics for our supporters and fans and they generate excitement for the upcoming season," said Cross. "The reality is that we encourage our players to focus on things that are within their control - attitude, effort, being a good teammate and getting better every single day.

"We can't win championships in March if we don't put in a championship effort every day. Our team mantra states that 'championships are won today.' For our program to be successful, everybody involved has to be committed to that principle."

UTA opens the season on Saturday, Nov. 12 against Texas Southern in a 7:30 p.m. contest that will serve as a signature event during the University's popular homecoming weekend. To sync the team's 2016-17 schedule to a smartphone, tablet or computer, click here.

Season, single game and group tickets to watch UTA men and women's basketball are currently on sale through the UTA Box Office: Online at UTATickets.com, by calling (817) 272-9595 or by visiting College Park Center during business hours Monday through Friday.

Behind UTA and runner-up Little Rock, Sun Belt coaches picked Georgia State to finish third, just ahead of in-state rival Georgia Southern. League newcomer Coastal Carolina, which plays its first Sun Belt game on New Year's Eve at UTA in College Park Center, was picked fifth in the 12-team conference.

UT Arlington returns five starters including Hervey, who missed the Mavericks' final 19 games after suffering a season-ending knee injury. Hervey nearly averaged a double-double (18.1 ppg/9.8 rpg) in 16 games last season while leading the Mavericks to a 9-2 record in non-conference play that included wins at Memphis and Ohio State.

The UT Arlington backcourt also returns the dynamic Neal (12.7 ppg/6.2 apg) at point guard, along with double-figure scorers in senior Jalen Jones (12.7 ppg), junior Kaelon Wilson (10.0 ppg) and fifth-year senior Drew Charles (9.4 ppg). Senior forward Jorge Bilbao (6.9 ppg, 7.1 rpg) also returns after starting all 35 games last year.

Hervey, a native of Arlington, is the only forward named to the Sun Belt's preseason first team. Neal, along with three other student-athletes, headlines the guard-heavy all-conference list of honorees. A total of 11 guards occupy the 15 spots across the three teams..

Neal earned first team all-conference honors last season after leading the Sun Bet in assists per game (6.2). The Dallas native ranked third in steals per game (1.6) and fourth in assist-turnover ratio (2.4). Neal averaged 12.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game and recorded the first triple-double in UT Arlington history with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists at UL Monroe. He scored in double-figures on 23 separate occasions last season and notched double-digit assist totals three times.

This season's conference schedule will feature an 18-game slate amongst the league's 12 teams that leads to the conference championship beginning Mar. 8 at Lakefront Arena in New Orleans. All 12 teams qualify for the tournament in March, with the winner of the championship earning the league's automatic bid to the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. The championship game of the tournament is scheduled for March 12, NCAA Selection Sunday, and will be televised on ESPN2.

Preseason Coaches' Poll
1st Place Votes In Parenthesis

1. UT Arlington (10) - 140 pts
2. Little Rock (1) - 124 pts
3. Georgia State (1) - 114 pts
4. Georgia Southern - 111 pts
5. Coastal Carolina - 88 pts
6. South Alabama - 75 pts
7. UL Lafayette - 70 pts
8. UL Monroe - 59 pts
9. Troy - 54 pts
10. Arkansas State - 46 pts
11. Appalachian State - 28 pts
12. Texas State - 27 pts

Preseason First Team All-Conference
Devin Carter (Arkansas State, Senior, Guard, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Tookie Brown (Georgia Southern, Sophomore, Guard, Sport Management)
Marcus Johnson Jr. (Little Rock, Senior, Guard, Criminal Justice)
Kevin Hervey (UT Arlington, Junior, Forward, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Erick Neal (UT Arlington, Junior, Guard, Communication Broadcasting)

Preseason Second Team All-Conference
Elijah Wilson (Coastal Carolina, Senior, Guard)
Mike Hughes (Georgia Southern, Junior, Guard, Sport Management)
Jeremy Hollowell (Georgia State, Senior, Forward, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Ken Williams (South Alabama, Senior, Guard, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Wesley Person (Troy, Junior, Guard, Global Business)

Preseason Third Team All-Conference
Ronshad Shabazz (Appalachian State, Sophomore, Guard, Undecided)
Jay Wright (UL Lafayette, Senior, Guard, General Studies)
Nick Coppola (UL Monroe, Senior, Guard, Risk Management and Insurance)
Kavin Gilder-Tilbury (Texas State, Senior, Forward, General Studies)
Jordon Varnado (Troy, Sophomore, Forward, Global Business)

Preseason Player of the Year
Kevin Hervey (UT Arlington, Junior, Forward, Interdisciplinary Studies)