Mart named preseason All-GCAC; Gold Rush picked 2nd

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Rayshawn Mart has been named to the preseason All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball team in a poll of the league's head coaches.

The coaches also picked the Gold Rush to finish second in the GCAC. XULA received three first-place votes.

Mart, a 6-foot-3 sophomore guard from Houma, La., and a graduate of H.L. Bourgeois High School, was GCAC Freshman of the Year last season. Mart averaged 10.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in 2017-18 and led the Gold Rush with 39 steals and 30.3 minutes per game.

XULA, announced Tuesday as the No. 23 team in NAIA Division I, will open its season Friday against Keiser at St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. AST/6 p.m. New Orleans time. The home opener will start at 7 p.m. Nov. 1 against Carver in the Convocation Center.

GCAC Men's Basketball
2018-19 Coaches Poll
First-place votes in parentheses
Rank School
1 Dillard (4)
2 XULA (3)
3 Edward Waters
4 Philander Smith
5 Talladega
6 Tougaloo
7 Rust
8 SUNO

XULA in previous GCAC polls
2017-18 — 6th
2016-17 — 3rd
2015-16 — 3rd
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

2018-19 Preseason All-GCAC
Men's Basketball
Player School
Malik Amos Dillard
Tonzell Handy Tougaloo
Will Ibeh Edward Waters
Christopher Journet Philander Smith
Rayshawn Mart XULA
GCAC Preseason Player of the Year: Tonzell Handy, Tougaloo

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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