Coker men’s basketball picked 11th in South Atlantic Conference preseason poll
The Coker University men’s basketball team was picked 11th in the 2020-21 preseason coaches’ poll, announced by the league Nov. 4. No. 3 Lincoln Memorial took the top spot in the poll with 155 points and 11 first-place votes, while No. 12 Queens (N.C.) was second with 144 points and one first place vote. Lenoir-Rhyne was tabbed third with 122 points and the remaining first-place vote, while Tusculum was slated fourth with 117 points. Catawba was picked fifth with 107 points, while Anderson (S.C.) was slated sixth with 107 points. Wingate was picked seventh with 81 points, while Newberry was picked eighth with 78 points. Carson-Newman was slated ninth with 77 points, while Mars Hill was picked 10th with 64 points. Coker (45), UVA Wise (40) and Limestone (26) rounded out the poll. Coker improved its win total from two seasons ago, posting seven wins in 2019-20 including six in the South Atlantic Conference. Coker began the season with a 58-53 win at Limestone on Nov. 13, before opening conference play with a 49-45 win at Wingate on Nov. 26. The Cobras hit a rough stretch through December and January in conference play, before upending Tusculum on Jan. 11 at home 67-58. The Cobras would win back-to-back games for the first time on the season later in the month, defeating UVA-Wise on the road 81-77 (Jan. 18) and Newberry at home 74-72 on Jan. 22. The Cobras were able to pick up two more wins in February, upending Lenoir-Rhyne at home on Jan. 15 76-59 and completing the season sweep of Newberry with a thrilling 77-76 win on the road on Feb. 26. The season opener for Coker University women’s basketball against Carson-Newman scheduled for Nov. 21 has been postponed. The SAC will be working with both institutions to reschedule the games for a later date. For the most up-to-date information regarding Coker Athletics, visit www.cokercobras.com
