Men’s Basketball

KATY, Texas – The Southland Conference announced its 2008-09 preseason polls Tuesday at the league’s annual Media Day and UTSA has been picked to finish third in the West Division by the sports information directors and fourth by the head coaches. Additionally, sophomore Devin Gibson (Houston, Texas/Cypress Falls HS) has been named to the preseason first team.

Third-year head coach Brooks Thompson welcomes back his top three scorers – Gibson (14.1 points per game) and seniors Travis Gabbidon (13.9 ppg) and Joey Shank (9.2 ppg) – from last season’s 13-17 squad that tied for third in the West with a 7-9 mark.

Gibson, the 2007-08 SLC Freshman of the Year and a second-team all-conference selection, was the only sophomore chosen to the five-member first team by the league’s head coaches.

The Cypress Falls High product averaged 14.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and an NCAA-best 3.3 steals per game for the Roadrunners last season.

Women’s Basketball

KATY, Texas – The UTSA women’s basketball team was chosen as the favorite to win the West Division in both the Southland Conference Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors Preseason Polls, the league office announced on Tuesday at SLC Media Day.

Seniors Onika Anderson and Monica Gibbs were named the league’s preseason first team and sophomore Whitney York collected preseason second-team honors.

Gibbs, who became UTSA’s all-time assists leader last season, earned first-team All-SLC honors and was named the Most Valuable Player of the SLC All-Tournament MVP as a junior.

The Stillwater, Okla., native ranked second on the team with 11.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game last year. She currently sits third on the program’s all-time charts with 681 career rebounds and is 54 points shy of 1,000.

Anderson – the SLC Newcomer of the Year, a first-team all-conference performer and member of the SLC All-Tournament team – led UTSA in scoring (13.5 ppg), rebounding (8.8 rpg), field goal percentage (.520) and double-doubles (nine) a year ago. The Pine Bluff, Ark., native scored in double figures 18 times.

Basketball Preseason Poll

Men’s Basketball:1. UT-Arlington2. Lamar3t. Sam Houston State3t. UTSA5. Texas A&M-CC6. Texas State

Women’s Basketball:1. UTSA2. Texas State3. Lamar4. UT-Arlington5. Texas A&M-CC6. Sam Houston State.