MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The 2022 Great American Conference men’s basketball preseason coaches poll was announced by the league on Wednesday afternoon. Southern Arkansas Men’s Basketball, under first-year head coach Logan Quinn, has been tabbed ninth in the 12-team ranking. The Muleriders received 40 total points, five more than bitter league south Arkansas rival Arkansas-Monticello and nine back of eighth-place Harding.
Southern Arkansas will be directed by a familiar face for the upcoming campaign as Quinn takes over the top spot on the Mulerider bench following Andy Sharpe’s decision to step away last spring after ten culture-building years at the helm of the program. Quinn, who became the program’s tenth head coach since 1950 and the sixth to lead the program in its NCAA Era, spent three seasons as Sharpe’s top assistant before taking over the head role.
Quinn and the Muleriders return four players from last season’s squad that posted an 18-12 record overall and a fifth place finish in the GAC with a 13-9 mark. Senior guard Blake Rogers played and started all 30 games for SAU last year and averaged 10.4 ppg to return as the team’s leading scorer. Senior guard Kris Wyche, redshirt sophomore guard Connor Harvey and junior forward Jessie Davis Jr. all return after logging minutes in over 20 contests. Wyche and Davis Jr. played in all but one game for SAU in ’21-22. Redshirt sophomore forward Logan Bradley, who played in 2019-20 ad 2020-21, returns after not playing last season.
In his first season, Quinn, along with assistant coach Nic Reynolds and graduate assistant Ryan Pippins, bolstered the new look roster with nine new players of which six have accrued collegiate experience prior to year one in Magnolia. Senior guard Brock Schreiner (Cameron), senior forward LaTreavin Black (USC Aiken), junior guard Gregory Hammond Jr. (UMass Lowell) and sophomore guard Logan Phillips (Purdue Northwest) all join Quinn from the NCAA ranks. Junior guard Jerry Carraway (Neosho CC) and sophomore combo Carel Ray Jr. (Frank Phillips College) bring junior college experience to the Muleriders, while a trio of prep stars in freshmen guards Anthony Igiede, Donavhn Sanford and Devonta Walker prepare for year one in the collegiate ranks.
The usual 22-game conference slate awaits the Muleriders this season. SAU’s conference opener is set for Thursday, December 1 at Henderson State, preseason No. 2. The Muleriders’ home conference opener is slated for two days later on Saturday, December 3 as Harding comes to town. Southern Arkansas opens it 2022-23 campaign in the “Land of Ten Thousand Lakes” as two tough regional matchups await the Muleriders out of the gate. SAU meets Minnesota Duluth on Friday, November 11 as part of the American Family Insurance Classic before taking on Bemidji State on Saturday, November 12.
Arlington Baptist (Nov. 17) and Ecclesia College (Nov. 18) come to town in back-to-back nights for a twice-as-nice home opener. The Muleriders will travel to Delta State on November 22 and will host Drury on December 19 to wrap up nonconference play.
Keep up with Mulerider Men’s Basketball leading up to and throughout the 2022-23 season by visiting www.MuleriderAthletics.com or by following the Muleriders on social via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Top photo by Jacob Pumphrey