Rob Spivery’s defending SWAC Champion Jaguars open the season Nov. 5 in exhibition play.

The Southwestern Athletic Conference announced its Basketball Predicted Orders of Finish for the upcoming 2006-07 season. In a poll conducted by the conference office, in which votes were received from the league’s head coaches and sports information directors, the men and women of Jackson State University were selected to finish first in the conference.
On the men’s side, the Jackson State Tigers, under the direction of head coach Tevester Anderson, received four first-place votes along with nine second-place tallies to finish with 167 points.
Defending champion Southern Jaguars, led by Head Coach Rob Spivery, received seven first-place votes and two second-place votes en route to gaining 155 points.
Rounding out the top five predicted finishes were Alcorn State (132 pts), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (131 pts), and Alabama A&M (130 pts).
The SWAC also announced its men’s basketball preseason honors for the upcoming 2006-07 season.
Jackson State guard Trey Johnson was chosen as the preseason player of the year.
The preseason defensive player of the year selection was Alabama A&M’s Mickell Gladness. Gladness, the conference leader in blocked shots averaging 2.96 blocks per contest, also ranked him 12th in the nation.
Joining Johnson on the preseason first-team were Alcorn State guard Delvin Thompson, forwards William Byrd (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) and Christopher Moore (Texas Southern), and Mississippi Valley State center Ronald Alexander.
Receiving second-team honors were guards Andrew Hayles (Alabama State) and Andre Ratliff (Grambling State), forwards Deforrest Riley-Smith (Southern) and Richard Lott (Alabama State) and Arkansas-Pine Bluff center Jarvis Gunter.