ATLANTA, Ga. (October 25, 2022) – Winners of the last two Southern Athletic Association regular season titles, Berry was an overwhelming pick to win a third in the 2022-23 SAA men’s basketball preseason poll. The Vikings earned seven of eight available first place votes and totaled 63 points. Birmingham-Southern grabbed the other first place vote and came in second with 49 points. Rhodes rounded out the top-three with 38 points.

The poll was conducted among the SAA’s eight head coaches.

2022-23 SAA Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll
1. Berry - 63 pts. (7)
2. BSC - 49 pts. (1)
3. Rhodes - 38 pts.
T4. Oglethorpe - 34 pts.
T4. Sewanee - 34 pts.
6. Centre - 32 pts.
7. Hendrix - 24 pts.
8. Millsaps - 14 pts.

New head coach Mick Hedgepeth inherits a Vikings team that went 11-1 in the conference a year ago and rolled to a second-straight SAA tournament championship. Three all-conference performers from last year’s championship team return for Berry, led by first teamer Michael Johnson. Chase Ellis was named to the second team and Riley Costas enters this season as the reigning SAA Defensive Player of the Year.

BSC went 12-14 overall last season and posted a 6-7 mark in league play, landing in fourth. Cameron Glover was named SAA honorable mention and leads a group of three returning starters for the Panthers. Rhodes will look to returning SAA honorable mention guard Koki Wiley this season after posting a 10-15 mark overall last season.

Three SAA teams are in action on the first day of the regular season. Berry hosts Huntingdon while Rhodes and Hendrix are on the road Tuesday, November 8. Sewanee starts the following day at Maryville with BSC and Centre hosting openers on Nov. 10. Oglethorpe and Millsaps will get their seasons underway Nov. 11-12.

Fans can follow the SAA men’s basketball season with live links at SAA-Sports.com