Blazers Picked to Win GSC

VSU opens season with high expecations

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the Gulf South Conference championship, according to a vote by the league coaches, as announced by the GSC Office on Thursday.

The Blazers learned of their preseason expectations as they took to the practice floor for the first time in the 2009-10 season Thursday.

"The preseason polls are based on what you did last year, who you have coming back and how you did recruiting," said head coach Mike Helfer on learning of the his team's preseason ranking. "This tells us that the coaches in our league have great respect for our team, but beyond that it doesn't mean a whole lot. What matters is where you are ranked at the end of the year and that will be our focus."

VSU was the unanimous choice to defend its Gulf South Conference East Division crown, earning five of the six first place votes. Helfer, who was not permitted to vote for his own team in the preseason poll, was the only coach not to vote for the Blazers to win the East Division.

The GSC preseason favorite label is just one of several preseason accolades for Valdosta State, who was picked as the preseason No. 4 team in the nation by Sporting News and No. 11 by D2Basketball.com.

On the individual level, Tyrone Curnell, who earned preseason All-America honors from the Sporting News after earning the honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches last year, was also selected to repeat as a first team All-GSC performer. He was joined on the preseason All-GSC team by Ricardo Lewis, who earned second-team All-GSC last season.

"At this time of the year, everyone is excited," Helfer concluded. "Everyone is tired of preseason conditioning and is just ready to get out on the court and practice. We have a lot of experience back and our seven seniors have provided good leadership thus far in the preseason. However, everything is different now and we have to pick it up a little bit. We have to work on our chemistry and on getting better as a team for the season ahead."

Valdosta State returns eight letterwinners, including four starters, off of a team that went 24-7 last year while advancing to the NCAA South Regional Tournament. The returning players accounted for 81.3 percent of VSU's scoring in 2008-09 (1,949 of 2,398 points), as well as 82.7 percent of the team's rebounding (996 of 1,204), 83.2 percent of its blocks (94 of 113), 83.4 percent of its assists (377 of 452) and 84.0 percent of its steals (200 of 238) on the year.

The returners will be joined by six talented newcomers, led by 6'10 Billy McShephard who will vie for the starting position at the small forward position. McShephard averaged 17.2 points and 8.7 rebounds a game last season for Louisburg (N.C.) Community College.

Valdosta State tips off its 2009-10 season Monday, November 16 when it hosts Carver Bible at 8:00 p.m. in the P.E. Complex.

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