Takeaways from the 2017 Southland Basketball Media Day

It's the middle of football season in Texas but that wasn't the sport in focus on Monday at the Toyota Center. When they weren't in front of cameras in the home of the Houston Rockets, each of the men's and women's basketball coaches of the Southland Conference mingled, spoke with attending media, and slurped down bottomless cups of coffee.

No coach will ever admit to putting stock in preseason polls but it's clear the opinions of their peers matter. In the hours after the league released the projected finishes for each team, it was a highlight of many conversations. "It's a little disrespectful," Abilene Christian's Joe Golding told The Sawmill of his team being tabbed 7th. "I guess it's good for us. Motivation."

Central Arkansas men's head coach Russ Pennell, picked 11th, seemed downright amused. "We think we can win the league this year," he said. The defending champions from the University of New Orleans, slotted 10th a year ago, have made defying expectations of that magnitude not totally unprecedented.

But right now, as optimism runs high, everyone sits even at 0-0. The season is rapidly approaching, the stage is set, and here are some preseason takeaways from an informative Monday with the leaders of Southland basketball:

1. Wouldn't it be great to know who voted for what? -

If the Sam Houston State men manage to win the league this year, an unlikely feat after unloading 2016-17's roster to graduation, most who pay attention to the Southland will walk away shocked.

But someone somewhere, a coach or SID, voted them in the top spot on their ballot. Those are the kind of oddities that make preseason polls little more than conversational fodder and popularity contests. "I seriously want to know who voted some of these," one women's coach commented. "Would you care if everyone knew who was on your ballot?" I asked. "Honestly, I wouldn't give a [expletive] if they knew who I voted for."

Preseason polls are great for spawning talking points; that's about it. They might be lacking in substantial data but can you imagine how great it would be if the ballots were public? Drama is fun.

2. UCA can always score. Look the heck out if they can figure out how to defend -

Led by the league's best player in Jordan Howard, Central Arkansas has been on a scoring tear for several years. The Bears led the Southland in points per game with just shy of 80. There was just one problem: Russ Pennell's team gave up an average of 82.

UCA was a downright bizarre team, often running a lineup with five guards, scoring with ease but giving up anything to anyone with semblance of size.

Two major things have changed since last season. First, Hayden Koval. The 7-foot freshman is a lights-out shooter and an inside presence that Pennell has never before had in Conway. The outside scoring ability makes little change needed in UCA's run-and-gun offense but it could completely alter how they matchup defensively.

Second, another freshman, guard Deandre Jones from Boise, Idaho, has looked so impressive running the point in practice that Pennell suggested there could be times that Howard is moved to the two-position. Unleashing a second floor general who can create shots for Howard could make one of the most lethal weapons in college basketball even more terrifying for defensive coaches to game plan.

If you put any stock in UCA's 11th place finish in the preseason poll, don't. They might not win the whole thing but they're definitely a wildcard in the pack.

3. Don't expect Jalen West to be Jalen West in November -

One of the biggest storylines of the preseason has been the reappearance of a Southland Conference great, Northwestern State point guard Jalen West, for his seventh (yes, SEVENTH) season of eligibility.

West suffered major knee injuries in each of his past two years and was given medical redshirts in both cases to keep his college career alive. When he was at his best, there was nobody better in the conference. Temper your expectations, at least early, as West makes his much anticipated return to the hardwood.

"He's looked really good but it's going to take some time," Northwestern State men's head coach Mike McConathy told The Sawmill on Monday. "When you take that much time off it's a process to regain the explosiveness."

West is a fan favorite, a superb person and has many fans (and rivals) rooting for him to return with a big season. Expecting the same player he was a couple years ago to just reappear might be somewhat unfair, though.

Or maybe not, says McConathy. "We hope he's himself again by conference season."

4. The newcomer who may be the key to a successful run for SFA's Ladyjacks -

Redshirt junior Imani Johnson transferred to Stephen F. Austin from Southeast Missouri State a year ago but sat out because of NCAA rules. In her first season playing for the Ladyjacks, head coach Mark Kellogg sees her as a key to unlocking the potential of his team. A big who is also a lethal threat as an outside shooter, Johnson has plenty of measurable traits as a quality basketball player.

Plenty of intangible ones too. "She's our most vocal player," Kellogg said. "A really good leader for our team."

Johnson will help counter the loss of Adrian Lewis and Kellogg is excited to add a player who forces opponents to take their bigs out of the paint to guard perimeter shots - something his team may not have had in years past. In the early part of the practice season, SFA has looked downright elite as a shooting team with eye popping numbers from behind the three-point line.

Despite the loss of conference player of the year Taylor Ross, if the Ladyjacks can play effective defense, they should absolutely still be taken seriously as a contender in 2017-18. Expect growing pains from a very young roster, but with senior Stevi Parker looked to more frequently as a scorer (and a potential player of the year candidate to succeed Ross), the expectations should remain high for SFA.

5. ACU men and women are both sleepers in 2017-18 -

It's a little ridiculous to call the defending women's champions a "sleeper" team, but Abilene Christian lost a lot of talent from their regular season title runs the last couple years. After being picked 5th in the preseason, ACU qualifies as an underdog.

Julie Goodenough is wildly respected by her peers and one coach remarked that her presence alone should be enough for most to take the Wildcats seriously. On the men's side, head coach Joe Golding returns all five of his starters from a 7-11 season in 2016-17. In some ways, his program could be looked at as the UNO of this year; not the most talented but rich with experience and continuity.

Regardless of where they finish, the impression from talking to several coaches is that ACU has hit a series of home runs with their current hires. With generally good facilities, private school funding, and now full Division I privileges, it's not hard to see why the jobs in Abilene are attractive for members of the coaching profession.

And no, neither team is supposed to contend this year. I'm just here to tell you not to be overly surprised if they do.

6. Sorry Mid-Major Madness, 2017-18 is the Stephen F. Austin men's championship to lose -

There's an infatuation with Lamar by some and it's not for no reason. Tic Price is a respected, experienced coach and no program returns more of their scoring from last season than the Cardinals.

But people who pay attention know that Lamar is somewhat of a known commodity. Without a lot of personnel changes in Beaumont, there isn't the scary mystery factor that teams like, say, Central Arkansas have.

It's why most in the Southland seem generally confident that SFA should be the favorite to win it all this season. After all, they handled the Cardinals twice with relative ease a year ago and return almost the same number of players. That, and they added some better ones.

Freshman point guard Cameron Mack, manning the position SFA most lacked in their runner up finish last year, should be an immediate difference maker. JUCO transfer Shannon Bogues is the kind of athlete not often seen in the Southland and is part of a recruiting class that also included fellow transfer John Comeaux and freshman forward Stefon Fisher - all members of a haul ranked in the top 10 of mid-majors nationally in head coach Kyle Keller's first full offseason (247Sports).

Even if we don't care about preseason polls, add in that they join an almost fully intact roster of returners and SFA's status as league favorite is a no-brainer.

Regardless of what the folks at Mid-Major Madness seem to believe.