BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – The West Virginia State University men's basketball team was picked to finish fourth in the Mountain East Conference's annual preseason poll. The Yellow Jackets are coming off a season in which they went 24-8 overall and 18-4 in league play.

WVSU finished second in the conference standings in 2021-22 after beating Charleston for the second time in the last game of the regular season. State received a first-round bye in the MEC Tournament only to suffer a shocking defeat to Alderson Broaddus in the quarterfinals. The largely successful season did not end there, however, as the Yellow Jackets earned a spot in the NCAA Division II Championship for the first time since 2010. They advanced to the Round of 32 for the fifth time in school history with an upset of No. 2-seeded West Liberty, 103-94.   

Head Coach Bryan Poore returns for his 24th season at the helm of the men's basketball team. He boasts a 376-292 overall record and 261-204 league record since taking over the program.

Two-time First Team All-MEC honoree, and three-time All-MEC selection, Anthony Pittman returns for his fourth season with the Yellow Jackets. He averaged 15.8 points per game and a team-high 8.5 rebounds per game last season. Pittman also led the Yellow Jackets in steals with 71 and blocks with 41 while dishing out 90 assists.

Fellow forward Noah Jordan also returns for his junior year after averaging 12.1 points per game and 7.0 boards per game a season ago. He played a huge role in State's upset of West Liberty in the Atlantic Regional opening round by posting 22 points and 12 rebounds. Another key player returning for WVSU is sophomore point guard Dwaine Jones. He stepped into the role of floor general on a team loaded with veteran presences last year and averaged 4.4 assists per game while scoring 7.7 points per game.

The Yellow Jackets will have to learn to live without two all-time greats in guard Glen Abram and forward Jeremiah Moore this season. The two players with huge shoes to fill could possibly be NJCAA transfers Samier Kinsler and Malik Whitaker. Whitaker, a forward, averaged 19.1 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game at Garrett College while Kinsler, a guard, averaged 10.3 points per game at Grayson College and shot 47 percent from three-point range.

The reigning Conference Champions, West Liberty, were picked to repeat with 115 points from votes by the league's head coaches and five first-place votes. Fairmont State actually received one more first-place vote with six but was slotted second with 113 points. Charleston landed in third place with 102 points while West Virginia State was picked fourth with 93 points and the one remaining first-place vote.

Notre Dame (Ohio) was voted near the top of the league with 81 points for a fifth-place spot. Concord (67 points), Alderson Broaddus (51 points), Glenville State (51 points), and Davis & Elkins (48 points) made up the middle of the pack. Wheeling (32 points) and Frostburg State (28 points) were slotted in 10th and 11th place, respectively, while West Virginia Wesleyan (11 points) was picked last.

The Yellow Jackets will begin their 2022-23 campaign with a non-conference game against Livingstone on Friday, Nov. 11th. They will also play Shaw that weekend as part of the Earl Lloyd Classic at the Walker Convocation Center. The full schedule can be viewed here.

2022-23 MEC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
1. West Liberty (5) 115
2. Fairmont State (6) 113
3. Charleston 102
4. West Virginia St. (1) 93
5. Notre Dame 81
6. Concord 67
T7. Alderson Broaddus 51
T7. Glenville State 51
9. Davis & Elkins 48
10. Wheeling 32
11. Frostburg State 28
12. West Va. Wesleyan 11
( ) – first-place votes