UMO men's basketball team ranked No. 4 in NCAA Division 2 Bulletin preseason poll

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on October 6, 2015 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

MOUNT OLIVE -- Less than six months after an appearance in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight, the University of Mount Olive men's basketball team has gained recognition from that postseason success.

The Trojans are ranked No. 4 in the NCAA D2 Bulletin preseason poll.

"It's good for recruiting, great for our program and our institution," UMO head coach Joey Higginbotham said in a brief telephone interview Monday evening while on a recruiting trip in northern Virginia and Maryland.

"I don't even think the guys know about it yet."

Mount Olive is the lone Conference Carolinas team ranked among the top 25, and just one of three Southeast Region schools in the poll. Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.) is ranked No. 7 and in-state foe UNC Pembroke is 10th.

Charles B. Aycock alum Brandon Winford almost averaged a double-double -- 12.8 points, 8 rebounds -- for UNCP last season. The Braves finished 26-6 overall and grabbed an at-large bid to the Southeast Regional.

Augustana (S.D.) is ranked No. 1.

"It is what it is," Higginbotham said. "We just try to get better each day."

Mount Olive returns four starters and eight letter-winners off of last year's team that won a school-record 34 games. The Trojans will be led by the senior backcourt tandem of Dontrell Brite and JaQuan Blount, and the frontcourt of Dominique Reed and Mike Moore.

Blount has been named a preseason All-America by the D2 Bulletin and second-team All-America by The Sporting News. The Trojans are listed among the TSN's "possible breakthrough teams."

"We're just working hard every day, hitting the weight room every day and conditioning," Higginbotham said. "Our new guys are really gelling with the older kids. We hope we can build off of what we did last year."