Men's Basketball Holds Top Spot In SLIAC Preseason Poll

ST. LOUIS, Mo.—The St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) released the 2022-23 Men's Basketball Preseason Poll today and the Griffins hold the top spot after winning the SLIAC Regular Season Title a season ago.

Fontbonne finished with 47 points and five first-place votes. Webster, who advanced to the championship game last year, totaled 40 points and two first-place votes for second. Eureka followed in third with 35, while the SLIAC Tournament Champion Blackburn Beavers hold down fourth.

The Griffins come off a 2021-22 campaign where they went 17-7 overall and 12-2 in conference play. It marked the first time since 1994 the Griffins won the Regular Season Title outright.

Head Coach Lance Thornhill won his first SLIAC Coach of the Year award, while Anthony Jones was named SLIAC Defensive Player of the Year.

The Griffins will look to replace Jones, but return SLIAC All-Conference First Team selections in Caden Clark and Elijah Rice.

Clark, a Bethalto, Ill., native, was also named to the SLIAC All-Defensive Team for the second time in his career. He set new career-highs in points per game (15.5), field goal percentage (42.3), free throw percentage (79.3), rebounds (123), assists (129), and steals (47).

Rice, a Cahokia, Ill., native, also had an impressive 2021-22 season averaging a career-best 15.2 points per game, while shooting a career-high 48.7 percent from the field.

The Griffins also welcome back Brent Wagner who's a threat from beyond-the-arc connecting on 36.6 percent of his attempts, to go along with his 11.4 point per game average.

Will Suellentrop returns for his junior campaign after averaging 9.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Kevin Anders will be another player to look out for after putting up 7.6 points in 21 games last year.

There are 14 new faces to the roster that look to make an immediate impact and helped guide the Griffins toward another playoff run.

Fontbonne will get its season underway on November 12^th when they'll visit Simpson. Tip-off at 8 p.m.

Make sure to follow men's basketball on all its social media accounts: Twitter (@FBUBasketball), Instagram (@fbubasketball) and Facebook (/FontbonneUGriffins).