MTSU, WKU picked amongst CUSA favorites

MBB: Murray State will host both those teams this season

Murray State guard Brian Moore splits a pair of Middle Tennessee defenders on December 22nd, 2022. (Photo: Furst Edition Photography/Murray State Athletics)

Middle Tennessee and Liberty tied for the top spot in the Conference USA men’s basketball preseason poll, as voted on by the coaches. Western Kentucky came in third in the preseason poll. Both MTSU (December 30th) and WKU (November 14th) will both travel to the CFSB Center this season to take on Murray State.

Middle Tennessee’s Elias King and Camryn Weston made the CUSA All-Preseason team. Weston had 17 points and King added 14 more when MTSU beat Murray State, 83-67, last December in Murfreesboro.

A pair of Hilltoppers also made the All-Preseason team. Seniors Dontaie Allen and Brandon Newman will make their first trip to Murray in November, as the Racers and Hilltoppers new their longtime rivalry that had been dormant since 2014.

Here’s the entire Conference USA Preseason Poll (First-place votes in parentheses):

• Middle Tennessee (1) — 71

• Liberty (5) — 71

• Western Kentucky (2) — 63

• Louisiana Tech (1) — 48

• UTEP — 41

• Sam Houston — 38

• Florida International — 31

• New Mexico State — 30

• Jacksonville State — 12