NEW ORLEANS – Georgia State has been tabbed as the preseason favorite to capture the 2018-19 Sun Belt Conference men’s basketball title and Panthers junior guard D’Marcus Simonds has been selected as the Preseason Player of the Year in a vote of the league's head coaches, the conference office announced on Thursday.
The league also announced its Preseason All-Sun Belt first, second and third teams.
Georgia State received all 12 first-place votes and the maximum 144 points coming off a season that saw the Panthers (24-11, 12-6 Sun Belt) win the Sun Belt Tournament title, earning their second NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship appearance in the last four years and fifth postseason appearance under head coach Ron Hunter.