[October 19, 2007]

MAGNOLIA, Ark. - The Gulf South Conference has released its 2007-08 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Pre-Season Coaches’ Poll and Pre-Season All-GSC teams. The Southern Arkansas Lady Muleriders were picked to finish sixth (18 points) in the GSC West Division, while the Muleriders were picked seventh (15).

Southern Arkansas sophomore Goldie White, a 5-8 guard from Hampton, was one of five players named to the pre-season women’s all-conference team. White averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game last season en route to earning GSC West Division Freshman of the Year and Second Team All-GSC honors. She helped lead the Lady Muleriders to the GSC tournament, where she was named to the GSC All-Tournament Team.

Delta State is the West Division and overall champion favorite in the women’s league. The Lady Statesmen got seven first-place votes and a total of 49 points to win the West, and received 12 votes to win the overall title. Arkansas Tech received one first-place vote (43) to finish second in the West, and one vote, along with Henderson State and West Florida, to finish runner-up to the Lady Statesmen in the overall championship. Harding received 34 points to place third in the poll, Henderson State is fourth (30), Ouachita Baptist fifth (23), behind SAU is Arkansas-Monticello at seventh (16), and Christian Brothers was selected eighth (8).

Christian Brothers was named the pre-season West Division favorite on the men’s side, gathering six first-place votes and a total of 48 points. Harding received two first-place votes and a total of 42 points to finish second in the West. Delta State and Ouachita Baptist garnered 33 points each to tie for third. Henderson State was selected fifth (22), Arkansas-Monticello sixth (17), and Arkansas Tech (14) was picked last behind SAU.

Montevallo, from the East Division, was chosen by the majority of the GSC coaches to hoist the GSC Championship trophy for the fourth consecutive season via four overall champion votes. The East’s Alabama-Huntsville, North Alabama, and Valdosta State each received two championship votes, while Christian Brothers, Harding, Henderson State, and West Georgia received one each.

The Muleriders had no one named to the pre-season team, but had two players named as a Top Newcomer, guards Scotty Lott, a 5-10, 175-pound senior out of Houston, Texas, and David Noble, a 6-3, 180-pound freshman from Mansfield, Texas.