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GLIAC -- The Saginaw Valley State University Men's Basketball team has been picked to finish in fifth place in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) South Division in the annual preseason coaches' poll.
The Cardinals finished with 24 points, which is two behind fourth place Northwood University. Davenport was picked to win the South Division, receiving 61 points and 11 of 12 first-place votes. Ashland is second in the South, garnering 50 points with the other first-place vote. Ferris State was tabbed as the North Division favorite, getting 55 points with six first-place nods. Parkside is second with 51 points and five first-place votes.
Junior guard Myles Belyeu was named as a preseason All-GLIAC selection for the Cardinals as well, having earned All-GLIAC Second Team honors as a freshman in 2018-19 as the team's leading scorer.
2019-20 GLIAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
North Division
- Ferris State - 55 (6)
- Parkside - 51 (5)
- Michigan Tech - 45
- Lake Superior State - 33
- Purdue Northwest - 17
- Northern Michigan - 15
South Division
- Davenport - 61 (11)
- Ashland - 50
- Grand Valley State - 39
- Northwood - 26
- Saginaw Valley State - 24
- Wayne State - 16
2019-20 SVSU Men's Basketball Season Preview
Coming off a 2018-19 season where 11-of-13 players were either freshmen or sophomores and there were no seniors, eighth year head coach Randy Baruth welcomes back plenty of experience from last year's squad and the team looks to vastly improve on last year's 10-18 overall record and 6-14 mark in the GLIAC. There will be eight returners from last year's team, along with some newcomers with collegiate experience who expect to contribute in a big way for the Cardinals.
The top-four scorers from the 2018-19 season return, led by All-GLIAC Second Team performers in sophomore Myles Belyeu and junior Darnell Hoskins Jr. Belyeu led the team with 18.3 ppg and Hoskins added 16.3 ppg while breaking the program's single season record with 85 three-pointers. Junior James Toohey (10.4 ppg) and senior Fred John Jr. (10.0 ppg) are back as well, as John led the team last year with 6.7 rpg while Toohey grabbed 4.6 rpg. Belyeu added 6.3 rpg for the Cardinals and led the team with 36.4 minutes played per contest. Hoskins led the way distributing the ball, posting 3.2 apg. Eastern Michigan junior transfer guard Malik Ellison and Central Michigan junior transfer center Innocent Nwoko will be relied on to contribute for SVSU as well.
SVSU opens the regular season with big regional games at Bellarmine University versus Indianapolis and Bellarmine in the GLIAC / GLVC Crossover after exhibition games at Oakland (10/30) and Michigan (11/1). GLIAC play begins the Dec. 5-7 in the U.P. at Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan.
Preseason Inverview w/ Randy Baruth & Fred John Jr.