ASHEVILLE, N.C. - The Southern Conference media has tabbed Davidson and UNCG as the favorites to capture the conference's divisional men's basketball titles in 2012-13.  Both the Wildcats and Spartans were also selected preseason favorites by the league's coaches after each team won its respective division in 2011-12.

UNCG won the league's North Division a season ago and advanced to the tournament semifinals.  The Spartans earned 164 points and captured 18 first-place votes.  Head coach Wes Miller returns four starters and 10 lettermen from last year's squad.  Western Carolina was slotted second in the division.  The Catamounts advanced to the tournament final a year ago after tying for third place in the division.  WCU earned nine first-place votes.  Elon was picked third and received the final three first-place votes in the North Division.  Appalachian State and Samford tied for fourth place with 72 points apiece, while Chattanooga (59) rounded out the division.

The Davidson Wildcats were the top choice in the South Division.  Head coach Bob McKillop returns 12 lettermen and all five starters from a team that went 25-8 (16-2 SoCon) and won the Southern Conference tournament championship.  College of Charleston was picked second with 134 points, ahead of Georgia Southern, which was tabbed third.  The Eagles picked up two first-place votes in the preseason balloting.  Wofford (101) was tabbed fourth, followed by Furman (62) and The Citadel (37).

Regular-season play begins Friday, Nov. 9, as eight Southern Conference teams take the floor that evening.  Conference play begins Wednesday, Nov. 28, when Furman hosts Western Carolina and Elon travels to Georgia Southern.  The Southern Conference Tournament will be held March 8-11, 2013, in Asheville, N.C.  The 2013 Southern Conference championship game will be held Monday, March 11, at 7:00 p.m. and will be televised on either ESPN or ESPN2.

SoCon Men's Basketball Predicted Order of Finish - Media Poll

North Division
Team (1st Place Votes)        Total
1. UNCG (18)                        164
2. Western Carolina (9)          144
3. Elon (3)                             119
4. Appalachian State              72
    Samford                            72
6. Chattanooga                      59

South Division
Team (1st Place Votes)        Total
1. Davidson (28)                     176      
2. College of Charleston          134
3. Georgia Southern (2)           120
4. Wofford                             101
5. Furman                             62
6. The Citadel                        37