USD men’s hoops ranked No. 1 in preseason poll

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According to The Sporting News magazine, the USD men’s basketball team is the No. 1 team in the nation.

That coming from the magazine’s 2007-2008 men’s college hoops preview edition.

So, let me get this straight: the Coyotes are the TOP team in the nation?

That’s a lot of pressure for a team already looking to defend its conference championship.

USD is coming off it’s school-record fourth straight trip to the Division II national tournament. The Coyotes, who won the North Central Conference tournament last season, fell 95-88 to Nebraska-Kearney in the first round of the playoffs. They finished the year with a 23-7 record.

The Coyotes will be returning 10 letterwinners, including all five starters from last year’s team (Jesse Becker, Dustin Little, Eric Hall, Dylan Grimsley and Steve Smith). And the majority of the USD bench is returning this season, so there will likely be no drop-off from an already well-balanced and talented squad.

But then again, that’s what these preseason rankings are based on: who a team has coming back.

- - Jeremy Hoeck

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