FORT WORTH, Texas - The Texas Wesleyan men's basketball team was picked seventh in a preseason poll in the Red River Athletic Conference by conference coaches Thursday morning.

     In the preseason poll, Texas Wesleyan garnered 87 total votes. Defending-champion Houston Baptist was picked to win the conference again, receiving 117 total votes and seven first-place votes.

     "I don't think many people put much stock in pre-season polls," head coach Terry Waldrop said. "They are a representation of what you did the previous season. Last year we were preseason Top 25 and picked first in the conference, on the basis of the success of the previous year's team and having an outstanding player. We have one returning starter this year, and after a mediocre year in 2003-04 we are picked in the middle of the pack. Honestly I am surprised we were picked that high. The only poll that we count is the one at the end of the year."

     Texas Wesleyan returns one starter and two letter winners from a team that finished 15-18, and fell in the conference quarterfinals of last year's conference tournament. The Rams will feature a lot of new faces. They welcome nine transfers this season.

     "We focused on recruiting quality students with character and skill," Waldrop said. "We believe the players we have in our program exemplify those qualities and will enable us to compete with a consistency and determination that we sorely lacked last season. We are really looking forward to the conference race and it looks like we have some respect to earn."

     Texas Wesleyan opens their 2004-05 campaign against Oklahoma Christian on Nov. 9th. The Rams will travel to take on the Eagles at 8 p.m. in Edmond, Okla.

2004-05 RRAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll

School (First Place Votes) Total Points
1. Houston Baptist University (Texas) (7) 129
2. Langston University (Okla.) (2) 117
3. Bacone College (Okla.) (2) 97
4. Texas College 94
5. Texas A&M International University 90
6. Jarvis Christian College (Texas) (1) 88
7. Texas Wesleyan University 87
8. Huston-Tillotson College 67
9. Southwestern Assemblies of God University (Texas) 49
10. Paul Quinn College (Texas) 40
11. University of Texas of the Permian Basin 39
Wiley College (Texas) 39