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| Winston-Salem State is predicted to win the CIAA South in 2014. (WS Journal Photo) |
Football season may only be a month old, but basketball season is fresh on its heels. The CIAA held its annual preseason media day in Charlotte on Thursday, revealing its predicted finish list and preseason all-conference teams. Defending conference tournament champion Bowie State was predicted to finish first in the North while Winston-Salem State was predicted to win the South.
Both WSSU and Bowie State will be looking for players to step it up as both teams lost their leading scorers from last season. Despite those losses, both teams have all-conference caliber players in Carlos Smith (Bowie) and Tyree Desmore (WSSU)
This is how the predictions went on the men’s side.
NORTHERN DIVISION
1. Bowie State
2. Lincoln (Pa.)
3. Elizabeth City State
4. Virginia State
5. Virginia Union
6. Chowan
SOUTHERN DIVISION
1. Winston-Salem State
2. Livingstone
3. Shaw
4. Johnson C. Smith
5. Fayetteville State
6. St. Aug
Over on the women’s side, Shaw was predicted to win the South while Elizabeth City State looks to be the favorite in the North.
NORTHERN DIVISION
1. Elizabeth City State
2. Virginia Union
3. Virginia State
4. Bowie State
5. Lincoln (Pa.)
6. Chowan
SOUTHERN DIVISION
1. Shaw
2. Winston-Salem State
3. Fayetteville State
4. Johnson C. Smith
5. St. Aug
6. Livingstone
Check out the All-Conference teams as well.
MEN’S BASKETBALL ALL-CIAA PRESEASON TEAM
Carlos Smith Bowie State Sr. F 6-8 Baltimore, MD
Tyrrel Tate Fayetteville State Sr. F 6-5 Raleigh, NC
Emilio Parks Johnson C. Smith Jr. F 6-6 Ashtabula, OH
Derrick Washington Lincoln (Pa.) Sr. G 6-4 Washington, D.C.
Jody Hill Livingstone Sr. G 6-1 Detroit, MI
Mark “AJ” Thomas Livingstone Sr. G 5-8 Saginaw, MI
Joel Kindred St. Aug Sr. G 6-4 Raleigh, NC
Curtis Hines Shaw Sr. G 6-4 Kinston, NC
Chris Grier Virginia State Sr. G 6-3 Stone Mountain, GA
Omar Briggs Virginia Union Sr. F 6-8 Richmond, VA
Preston Ross Winston-Salem State Sr. F 6-6 Fayetteville, NC
Tyree Desmore Winston-Salem State Sr. F 6-6 Petersburg, VA
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ALL-CIAA PRESEASON TEAM
Summer Curtis Chowan Jr. C 6-3 Richmond, VA
DaShera Boone Elizabeth City State Jr. G 5-9 Newport News, VA
Derricka Henry Elizabeth City State Jr. G 5-9 Dayton, OH
Akysia Resper Fayetteville State Sr. G 5-5 Concord, NC
Karnina Bunch Johnson C. Smith Sr. G 5-6 Hattiesburg, MS
Cynthia Johnson Lincoln (Pa.) Sr. G 5-7 Baltimore, MD
Porscha Walton St. Aug So. G 5-6 Chesterfield, VA
Lamesha Deal Virginia State Sr. F 5-10 Norfolk, VA
Ashle Freeman Virginia Union Jr. G 5-6 Richmond, VA
Melyse Brown Virginia Union Jr. G/F 5-9 Halifax, VA
Dionna Scott Winston-Salem State Jr. G/F 5-10 South Riding, VA
Somalia McKenney Winston-Salem State Jr. F 5-11 Charlotte, NC