ROCK HILL, S.C. - The No. 19 ranked Lenoir-Rhyne men's basketball team opens their season with high expectations as they were picked to finish first in the SAC by the conference coaches. 

Reigning Southeast Region Tournament MVP Conrad Luczynski was named to the Preseason All-Conference Team while senior guard Julian Dozier was tabbed as a SAC Player to Watch.

Last season head coach Brent Owen and the Bears soared to new heights, winning the SAC Tournament and Southeast Region championships, advancing to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight for the first time in school history.

The Bears open their season this weekend at the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic in Lakeland, Florida. They will take on No. 4 Daemen on Saturday at 8 p.m. and No. 13 Michigan Tech on Sunday at 3:30. Their first home games will be on November 21-22 against West Virginia State and Lee in the Lenoir-Rhyne Classic. 

2025-26 SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. Lenoir-Rhyne - 128 points (8 first-place votes)
T2. Anderson - 109 points (3 first-place votes)
T2. Lincoln Memorial - 109 points
4. Carson-Newman 104 points (1 first-place vote)
5. Catawba - 97 points
6. UVA Wise - 86 points
7. Wingate - 70 points
8. Newberry - 60 points
9. Tusculum - 54 points
10. Coker - 50 points
11. Emory & Henry - 31 points
12. Mars Hill - 26 points

Preseason All-Conference
Jack Browder, Carson-Newman
Evan Ramsey, UVA Wise
Conrad Luczynski, Lenoir-Rhyne
Nick Walker, Catawba
Bryce Jackson, Tusculum 
AJ Wright Jr., Anderson 
Ian Blue, Anderson

Players to Watch
Carson-Newman: Braden Ilic
Catawba: Ibra Athie
Coker: Isayah Owens, Aaron Hall
Emory & Henry: Jackson Crawford, Korbin Dixon
Lenoir-Rhyne: Julian Dozier
Lincoln Memorial: Nate Mims, Yassin Hussein
Mars Hill: Aljaz Vidmar, Jaheim taylor
Newberry: Drake Downs, Malakhi Stremlow
Tusculum: TJ Printup
UVA Wise: Patrick Shelley
Wingate: Jordan Miller, Corbin Pack