AUGUSTA, Ga. -- When the Augusta State men’s basketball team opens practice Monday afternoon, it will do so as the sixth-ranked team in the nation.

That’s according to the national publication Sporting News magazine in its 2007-08 college basketball preview issue. The ranking marks the first-ever preseason national ranking in the 43-year history of the Jaguar men’s basketball program.

“Last year at this time, we were picked fifth in the preseason in our conference and one calendar year later we are sixth in the country,” said ASU head coach Dip Metress, who’s entering his fourth season at the helm of the program. “We look forward to the challenges that this will present us as we prepare for the season.”

ASU senior forward Tyrekus “AJ” Bowman was also named a preseason, first-team All-American by the magazine. Bowman was the only Peach Belt Conference player to be selected while the Jaguars were the only PBC team to appear in the top 10 of the rankings.

A first-team All-America selection as a junior by the NABC, Bowman was named the 2007 College Player-of-the-Year in the state of Georgia among all divisions by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. He averaged 20.5 ppg. and 7.5 rpg. en route to winning Peach Belt Conference Player-of-the-Year honors and leading ASU to the PBC regular-season championship.

Led by Bowman, ASU returns all five starters and nine of its top 10 scorers from the 2006-07 squad that posted a 24-7 record, hosted the NCAA South Atlantic Regional as the region’s top seed and finished the season ranked No. 18 in the nation.

The Jags take on College of Charleston in an exhibition game on Thursday, Nov. 1 in Charleston, S.C., and face Clemson in an exhibition at Littlejohn Coliseum on Tuesday, Nov. 6.

ASU officially opens the season on Friday, Nov. 16 at the Montevallo Coca-Cola Classic in Montevallo, Ala.