PRAIRIE VIEW A&M
Coach: Byron Smith (51-51 in three seasons at Prairie View A&M).
Last season: 22-13, 17-1, first in SWAC; lost in First Four of the NCAA Tournament.
Outlook: The Panthers won their first Southwestern Athletic Conference title under coach Byron Smith last season and are picked to win the conference again. Smith must replace one of the SWAC’s best backcourts with the departure of guards Gary Blackston, whose 26 points nearly lifted the Panthers to their first NCAA Tournament win in last year’s First Four, and Dennis Jones, who led the team in steals (2.0 per game) and assists (4.5). But Smith also returns a senior-laden core. Forward Devonte Patterson was the team’s second-leading scorer (13.5 points per game) and guard Gerard Andrus is a strong shooter and rebounder. Patterson was named the SWAC preseason Player of the Year and both are preseason All-SWAC selections. A trio of senior guards and former transfers — Chancellor Ellis, Darius Williams and Antoine Lister — look to take on greater roles as Prairie View A&M aims to win back-to-back SWAC championships for the first time since a pair of regular-season titles between 1960 and 1962.
Player to watch: Patterson can attack the basket as well as anybody in the league, and he showed it down the stretch last year. He recorded at least 20 points and 7 rebounds in five of the Panthers’ final 15 games including a 32-point showing against Alcorn State in the regularseason finale. He'll be relied upon more with Blackston gone.
Key games: Nov. 15 at Texas; Dec. 22 at Seton Hall; Jan. 11 at Texas Southern; Feb. 8 vs. Texas Southern.