SPARTANBURG, S.C. - With 12 returning players in 2009-10, Appalachian State men's basketball was selected second in the Southern Conference North Division by the league's coaches, the SoCon announced Thursday.
Additionally, senior guard Kellen Brand was voted to the preseason all-conference team for the Mountaineers, who received two first-place votes and 55 points.
Brand led the Mountaineers with 14.8 points per game in 2008-09 en route to earning all-conference honors from the league's media and coaches at the end of the season. He started all 31 games for Appalachian and scored in double-figures 21 times.
Western Carolina was picked to win the North with 64 points and the remaining 10 first-place votes. Samford was selected third with 44 points and defending champion Chattanooga was picked fourth with 39 points. Elon and UNC Greensboro tied for fifth with 22 points each.
Behind eight first-place votes, College of Charleston was picked to win the South Division. Wofford picked up three first-place votes and finished second in the preseason balloting with 54 points. Davidson, which has won the South Division each of the past three years, earned the final first-place vote in the South Division and came in third with 48 points. The Citadel (36) finished fourth, followed by Furman (24) and Georgia Southern (21).
CofC's Andrew Goudelock was picked as the SoCon Preseason Player of the Year.
The Mountaineers host Mars Hill on Friday at 8:30 p.m. in an exhibition and open the season at home on Nov. 13 against UNC Wilmington.


2009-10 Southern Conference Coaches Poll
North Division
Team (1st Place Votes)       Total
1. Western Carolina (10)    64
2. Appalachian State (2)    55
3. Samford                            44
4. Chattanooga                39
5. Elon                                  22
5. UNC Greensboro              22

South Division
Team (1st Place Votes)       Total
1. College of Charleston (8)  63         
2. Wofford (3)                       54
3. Davidson (1)                     48
4. The Citadel                      36
5. Furman                           24
6. Georgia Southern             21

2009-10 Preseason All-Conference Team
Will Archambault, Davidson
Kellen Brand, Appalachian State
Noah Dahlman, Wofford
Brandon Giles, Western Carolina
Andrew Goudelock, College of Charleston
Harouna Mutombo, Western Carolina
Willie Powers, Georgia Southern
Junior Salters, Wofford
Cameron Wells, The Citadel
Tony White, Jr., College of Charleston