WVC coaches pick W.Va. State to repeat as league champion: Charleston women selected to also claim conference championship

PRINCETON - West Virginia State University's men's basketball teamwas overwhelmingly selected by West Virginia Conference coaches towin the league championship this year.

The University of Charleston, meanwhile, earned the same billingin the women's coaches poll.

State Coach Bryan Poore said he was honored by the selection butpointed out that the coaches' preseason pick for No. 1 rarely ends upin that spot.

"I don't know how long it's been since the coaches actuallypredicted the right winner," Poore said. "A lot of things have tohappen."

Poore figured with several of his top players returning from lastyear's team that went 15-3 in the league that the Yellow Jacketswould be picked high in the poll.

"I knew we would be up there," he said. "I didn't necessarilythink it would be No. 1. There are some other teams that are awfullygood.

"But it's a compliment to our program for the league coaches tofeel this early that we're the front-runner."

State, which received 12 of the 15 first-place votes, was the 2003-2004 regular season WVC champion and returns four key players fromlast year's NCAA Tournament squad.

The key returnees include Chris Dunn, Tony Cornett, Mike Brown andNat Moles, a former DuPont and Riverside standout.

State opens its season on Nov. 19 in a tournament at Kutztown, Pa.

The Yellow Jackets will play an exhibition game at 7 p.m. Saturdayagainst the Charleston Bombers in Institute.

The Bombers are a Charleston-based traveling AAU team, consistingof several former area standouts.

Three-time defending tournament champ Alderson-Broaddus finishedsecond in the men's coaches poll after receiving two first-placevotes.

The University of Charleston was picked to finish third andWheeling Jesuit grabbed the final first-place vote to place fourth.Salem International was fifth, followed by Concord University,Shepherd University, Fairmont State University, West VirginiaUniversity Tech and Glenville State.

Davis & Elkins, West Virginia Wesleyan, West Liberty State, OhioValley and Bluefield State took the number 11 through 15 spots.

On the women's side, Coach Sherry Winn's Golden Eagles earned fiveof 15 first-place votes. Glenville State was picked to finish second,followed by Fairmont State, defending champion West Liberty, WestVirginia State and Wheeling Jesuit.

Concord was picked seventh, followed by Shepherd, West VirginiaWesleyan, Davis & Elkins, Ohio Valley, Salem International, Alderson-Broaddus, Bluefield State and WVU Tech.

Glenville received four first-place votes and Fairmont State andWest Liberty each received three.