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for men’s basketball on Thursday, and the Clayton State Lakers are
once again picked amongst the conference’s elite teams.
Fresh off the best season in program history, Clayton State was selected second in the poll voted on by the Peach Belt Conference head coaches. The Lakers received 86 total points and one first place vote, placing them second behind defending Peach Belt Conference regular season champion Augusta State, which received 97 points and eight first-place votes. Following the Lakers is Columbus State in third with 75 points, Georgia College in fourth with 72 points, and Armstrong Atlantic in fifth with 68 points. Rounding out the preseason poll is USC-Aiken (61), defending PBC Tournament champion Lander (39), Francis Marion (36), Georgia Southwestern (30), North Georgia (28) and UNC-Pembroke (13). "It’s a testament to our program to graduate key players and still have your peers vote you at the top," said Clayton State head coach Gordon Gibbons, who is 121-57 entering his seventh season at Clayton State. "We have a lot of work to do in blending our newcomers with the returning players as we prepare for the season." Gibbons returns six letterwinners, including one starter, from last season’s 24-8 squad that earned the program’s first ever NCAA Division II National Tournament berth. The one returning starter from last season is senior guard Michael Sloan. The smooth 6-foot-4 Sloan averaged 12 points and three rebounds a contest last season, while shooting 42 percent from 3-point range. He set the Clayton State single-season record for 3-point baskets with 72, and needs only 173 points to reach 1,000 for his career. In addition to Sloan, Gibbons will rely heavily on returning post players Jerome Boyd and Brian Kelly. A 6-7 senior center, Boyd was a fine backup last season to Aristide Sawadogo, averaging six points and three rebounds, while shooting 55 percent from the field. After shedding 10-15 pounds during the offseason, Boyd should be more active and productive in the paint. The 6-8 junior Kelly missed all of the Peach Belt season due to a leg injury, but he is 100 percent this season and aiming to be one of the best rebounding power forwards in the Peach Belt. Clayton State opens the season with a big-time exhibition game
next Friday (Nov. 2) at NCAA Division I Georgia in Athens. The
Lakers’ first regular season game is at home on Nov. 17 against
Tennessee Temple.
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