NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Morris Wright has been chosen preseason Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year in men's basketball, and the Gold Rush are picked to finish third in 2015-16.
The GCAC's seven head coaches made the selections. The GCAC announced the selections Friday.
Wright, a 5-foot-10 senior guard from Zachary, La., and a graduate of Zachary High School, was first-team All-GCAC and All-GCAC Tournament last season. Wright in 2014-15 averaged 14.9 points per game and became the first Gold Rush player to reach 400 points, 100 rebounds, 100 assists, 100 made free throws, 50 made 3-pointers and 50 steals in a season.
Wright is Xavier's career leader in 3-point field-goal percentage at .424 (117-of-276).
Xavier, 24-10 overall and 11-3 (second place) in the GCAC in 2014-15, received one first-place vote. Defending regular-season and tournament champion Talladega received four first-place votes and topped the voting, and Philander Smith was No. 2 with a pair of first-place votes.
Tougaloo, Dillard, Edward Waters and SUNO finished 4-5-6-7 in the voting.
The NAIA will announce Oct. 27 its preseason Division I national top 25. Xavier appeared in the last 50 top 25s — 21st in the 2014-15 postseason poll — and has the longest active poll streak in the division.
Xavier will open its 78th season at 7 p.m. Oct. 29 at XU's Convocation Center against NAIA member Webber International of Babson Park, Fla. The Gold Rush will play 17 times at home during the regular season.
GCAC Preseason Voting
All-Conference
Name School Pos. Ht. Yr. Hometown PPG RPG
Morris Wright Xavier G 5-10 Sr. Zachary, La. 14.9 3.6
Quintarius Porter Tougaloo G 6-5 Sr. Jackson, Miss. 15.2 4.9
Courtney Mack Talladega F 6-7 Sr. Midway, Ala. 9.6 5.5
Ronald March Philander Smith G 6-5 Sr. Phoenix, Ariz. 16.3 4.5
Joe Brown SUNO C 6-8 Sr. Augusta, Ga. 13.4 10.1
Houston Chatman Dillard G 6-1 Jr. Houma, La. 11.6 3.9
Preseason Player of the Year: Morris Wright, Xavier
Honorable Mention: Patrick Thompson, Dillard; Nelson Ollie, Philander Smith; Andravious Smith, Tougaloo
Order of Finish (first-place votes in parentheses)
Rank School Points
1 Talladega (4) 46
2 Philander Smith (2) 41
3 Xavier (1) 39
4 Tougaloo 21
5 Dillard 19
6 Edward Waters 17
7 SUNO 13
Xavier in previous GCAC polls
2014-15 — 2nd
2013-14 — 2nd
2012-13 — 1st
2011-12 — 2nd
2010-11 — 1st
2009-10 — 8th
2008-09 — 2nd
2007-08 — 1st
2006-07 — 6th
2004-05 — 3rd 2003-04 — 4th
2002-03 — 5th
2001-02 — 1st
2000-01 — 2nd
1999-2000 — 3rd
1992-93 — 2nd
1991-92 — 1st
1989-90 — 6th
1988-89 — 4th
1987-88 — 2nd
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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