Hoops poll

Despite losing a veteran backcourt to graduation and two key contributors in the offseason, the JSU men's basketball team is getting some love from the coaches in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Athletic department officials reported to the school's board of trustees Monday that James Green's second JSU men's team is being picked sixth in the preseason OVC poll. It also mentioned that Trenton Marshall, one of the top JUCO scorers in the country last year, was tabbed as OVC Newcomer of the Year by one national publication.

The Gamecocks started the Green Era last season 6-1, which included road wins at UMass and Georgia State, but didn't make the OVC Tournament field.

The women's team, meanwhile, is being picked fifth and two players -- Jolie Efezokhae and Brittany Wiley -- were named to the presason all-conference team.

No other teams were mentioned.

The OVC office would neither confirm nor deny the report, with assistant commissioner Kyle Schwartz saying the women's predictions wouldn't be released until Thursday and the men's predictions on Oct. 29.