AUGUSTA, Ga. – Coming on the heels of back-to-back Elite Eight appearances, Augusta State was selected the preseason favorite to win the 2009-10 Peach Belt Conference men’s basketball championship in a poll of the league’s head coaches released Wednesday afternoon. ASU received 10 of a possible 12 first-place votes in the poll for 142 points, 19 ahead of Clayton State. USC Aiken was third in the poll, with Georgia College & State and Lander rounding out the top five.

The Jaguars made history last season, becoming the first PBC team to return to the Elite Eight. ASU won a school-record 30 games and was ranked in the top 25 for all 15 weeks, reaching as high as No. 3. Three starters return in 2009-10, led by senior All-American guard Ben Madgen. Senior all-conference guard/forward Fred Brathwaite and senior forward Greg Hire also return to the starting rotation, while senior guard Daniel Dixon will anchor the backcourt. In all, nine letterwinners return for the Jaguars.

The PBC will undergo several changes for the 2009-10 season, foremost among being a return to division play. With the additions of Flagler and Montevallo, the PBC will be split into East and West divisions. The East will consist of Augusta State, USC Aiken, Lander, Flagler, Armstrong Atlantic, Francis Marion and UNC Pembroke while the West Division will include Montevallo, Columbus State, Georgia Southwestern, Georgia College & State, Clayton State and North Georgia.

The PBC regular season begins on Sunday, Nov. 15 and continues through the 2010 PBC Tournament. The tournament format has changed with only the top four teams in each division advancing to a first-round game on the campus of the higher seed. The final four will then convene in Aiken, S.C., March 6-7, 2010.

2009-10 Peach Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll

Rank    Team                          1st    2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th  7th  8th  9th  10th  11th  12th   Total
 1.     AUGUSTA STATE                 10      2     0     0     0     0    0    0    0    0      0     0     142
 2.     Clayton State                  1      5     4     1     0     1    0    0    0    0      0     0     123
 3.     USC Aiken                      2      3     2     3     0     2    0    0    0    0      0     0     118
 4.     Georgia College & State        0      3     5     1     1     2    0    0    0    0      0     0     114
 5.     Lander                         0      0     0     2     6     1    2    0    1    0      0     0      89
 6.     Francis Marion                 0      0     1     2     0     3    4    2    0    0      0     0      83
 7.     Montevallo                     0      0     1     3     1     2    1    2    0    1      1     0      80
 8.     North Georgia                  0      0     0     1     3     0    4    2    1    1      0     0      74
 9.     Armstrong Atlantic State       0      0     0     0     1     1    2    2    3    2      1     0      57
10.     Columbus State                 0      0     0     0     0     1    0    2    5    3      1     0      48
11.     Georgia Southwestern           0      0     0     0     1     0    0    2    3    5      1     0      47
12.     UNC Pembroke                   0      0     0     0     0     0    0    1    0    1      4     6      22
13.     Flagler                        0      0     0     0     0     0    0    0    0    0      5     7      17