OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Mid-America Christian University Evangels have been selected to finish eighth in the Sooner Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll for the 2012-13 season, the league announced today.
The Evangels narrowly missed out on a SAC Postseason Tournament berth last after finishing tied for eighth in the league.
MACU will return the conference's leading scorer in senior Charlie Shorter this season, who averaged 22.1 ppg. Shorter is one of two All-Conference selections back this season for the Evangels, as senior point guard Camilo Valencia also returns after earning All-Conference Honorable Mention honors last year.
Oklahoma Baptist University has been picked to repeat as conference champs this season after receiving seven of nine first-place votes. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team.
OBU had 63 points in the poll. Rogers State had the other two first-place votes and 56 points.
John Brown is third in the poll with 50 points and Lubbock Christian fourth at 40. Oklahoma City, with 39 points, is the middle team in the nine-team ranking at fifth.
USAO is ranked sixth with 28 points, followed by Wayland Baptist with 22, MACU with 14 and St. Gregory's with 12.
The Evangels will open the season on Nov. 2 at the St. Gregory's University Classic against future SAC opponent Southwestern Christian University in Shawnee, Okla.
