Metro State, according to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference coaches, will win this year’s men’s basketball league.
UC-Colorado Springs picked up a couple of first-place votes, and Derrick White, the Mountain Lions’ 6-5 junior guard from Legend High School in Parker, was named the Preseason Player of the Year.
Alex Herrera, the Fort Lewis College Skyhawks’ 6-9 senior center from Ignacio High School, was named the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
The preseason polls were released Wednesday, and the Metro State Roadrunners, who didn’t lose a game last year in RMAC play, were picked to repeat as conference champions. They received 12 first-place votes.
UCCS was picked to finish second, Colorado Mines third and FLC fourth.
FLC, behind Herrera, finished 14-8 and 18-10 overall last season. Herrera averaged 30.8 minutes in 28 starts, 18.9 points per game, 9.2 rebounds rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game. Herrera set the FLC single-season record with 97 blocks last year, and his 171-of-230-effort from the free throw line both were second best in school history.
Adams State was picked to finish fifth, then CSU-Pueblo, Coorado Mesa, Colorado Christian, Chadron State, New Mexico Highlands, Black Hills State, Regis, Western State and Western New Mexico.
heraldsports@durangoherald.com
