VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State men's basketball team was selected fifth in the 2024-25 Gulf South Conference Coaches Rankings, announced by the league this afternoon.
 
Alabama Huntsville was tabbed first with 115 points and six of the 12 first place votes. The Lee Flames were right behind them in second with 113 points and four first place votes. West Alabama was selected third with 102 points and the final two first place votes.
 
Christian Brothers (75) was picked fourth with Valdosta State and Delta State tied for fifth as they both had 72 points. Mississippi College (61), Union (57), Montevallo (39) and Trevecca Nazarene (38) rounded out the top ten. Auburn Montgomery and West Florida were tied for 11^th with 24 points apiece.
 
Preseason poll points were awarded in a 12 through 1 scale, with first-place votes worth 12 points and an 12th-place selection worth one-point. Preseason all-conference was determined in a 5-4-3-2-1 scale. Coaches could note vote for their own team or student-athletes.
 
Familiar faces sit on the Preseason All-GSC Team, as the backcourt duo of Luke Burnett and Tommy Murr of UAH headline the All-GSC Team. 2023-24 First Team All-GSC member Rashad Bolden from Mississippi College was also selected, with Keithean Bolden of Delta State and Jalen Page with Trevecca Nazarene rounded out the All-GSC Team.
 
Three fresh faces for VSU were named to GSC Newcomer Watchlist, which was composed of 25 names. Click here for the full list. For Valdosta State, Carlos Hart, MJ Jones and Drew Mills were all selected. Junior Carlos Hart joins the Blazers from Division I University of New Orleans, where the Miami, Fla. native played in 32 games while starting in five. Hart averaged 18.3 minutes per game and scored 6.7 points per contest. Defensively, the guard tallied 20 steals and 11 blocks for the Privateers. Fellow junior guard MJ Jones joins Valdosta State in 2024-25 from Shelton State Community College. The Pelham, Ala. native lit it up for the Bucs in 2023-24, as he put up 14.5 points a night on .431/.396/.815 clip in 27 starts while nearly averaging two steals a game. The final Blazer named to the Newcomer Watch List was junior Drew Mills, who joins VSU from Howard Community College up in Columbia, Md. The forward started in 57 of 60 games across two seasons, as Mills averaged 15.2 PPG on .499 from the floor. The Baltimore, Md. Native has been known to attack the glass as he averaged 7.6 rebounds over his two-year career. Last season, Mills was a defensive menace, averaging 1.8 blocks and 1.7 steals a night for the Dragons.
 
Under the direction and leadership of head coach Mike Helfer, who enters his 20^th season at the helm of VSU, the Valdosta State Blazers open the 2024-25 season at home for the GSC/SIAC Challenge starting on Friday, Nov. 8. Valdosta State opens with Fort Valley State on Friday night at 7 p.m. followed by Clark Atlanta on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 5 p.m.
 
Preseason Coaches Rankings
 
 # Team Points
1. Alabama Huntsville (6) 115
2. Lee (4) 113
3. West Alabama (2) 102
4. Christian Brothers 75
t5. Delta State 72
t5. Valdosta State 72
7. Mississippi College 61
8. Union 57
9. Montevallo 39
10. Trevecca Nazarene 38
t11. Auburn Montgomery 24
t11. West Florida 24
First-place votes in parenthesis ( )
 
Preseason All-GSC Team
 
Luke Burnett, G, Sr., UAH#
Tommy Murr, G., Sr., UAH#
Keithean Brooks, Delta State#
Rashad Bolden, G, Jr., Mississippi College*
Jalen Page, G, Sr., Trevecca Nazarene
Players listed alphabetically by school
* 2023-24 First Team All-GSC
# 2023-24 Second Team All-GSC
 
For the second consecutive season, GSC basketball will be streamed exclusive on FloSports and will be featured on the brand's new platform, FloCollege. For subscription prices and how to sign-up for FloCollege, click here.