Now that I’ve gone through each GSC West team, it’s time for me to make some predictions. Given the turnover that happens every year at the Division II level, it’s tough to predict where certain teams will end up, but I’ll do my best. Last year, the coaches predicted Henderson State to win the GSC West, and they didn’t even make the playoffs, so you’ll have to give me a little leeway as well.
I’ll start with the GSC West Standings:
1. Delta State
2. Arkansas-Monticello
3. Harding
4. Central Arkansas
5. Henderson State
6. Ouachita Baptist
7. Southern Arkansas
8. Christian Brothers
9. Arkansas Tech
The coaches swapped UAM and UCA and put Southern Arkansas at the bottom, but I think the returning talent at UAM is too hard to ignore. They have a brutal non-conference schedule, but I think they’ll be prepared to make a run in conference play. UCA has too many uncertain players for me to confidently project them #2 like the coaches did, but as I’ve said in previous articles, it’s going to be very close between the top 4-5. Southern Arkansas returns most of their team, so I actually wouldn’t be surprised for them to make a run at the playoffs. The fight between them, OBU, and whichever of the top 5 gets left behind will be interesting. CBU and Arkansas Tech look to be rebuilding, but watch out for Rone Smith at Tech, because he is still one of the conference’s top players.
Individual predictions:
Player of the Year: Matt Hall
All-GSC-West team:
C-Johnathan Holland (UAM)
F-Matt Hall (HU)
F-Rone Smith (ATU)
G-Lonnie Smith (HU)
G-Marlon McCoy (DSU)
Second team:
C-Dedric Spooner (HSU)
F-Ceso Sprewell (HU)
F-Jeremy Richardson (DSU)
G-Nate Newell (UAM)
G-Chad Wise (UCA)
Top newcomers:
C-Jasper Johnson (DSU senior)
F-Alex Anderson (HU freshman)
G-Chad Wise (UCA junior)
G-Travis DeGroot (DSU junior)
G-Will Cranford (UCA freshman)
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