ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference has announced the Preseason Coaches' Poll for the 2023-24 men's basketball season. The Gorloks were picked to finish second in the SLIAC after recording 69 points in the poll and four out of 10 first place votes.

The Gorloks return 11 players from last years team that went 14-13 on the year and 10-4 in SLIAC play. They earned a share of the SLIAC Regular Season Title and the top seed in the SLIAC Men's Basketball Tournament. They made a run to the championship game where they were defeated by Fontbonne by a final score of 55-49.

Of the 11 returners, three made 23 or more starts last season including Jason Coleman, Karl Moore Jr., and Jemard Sykes II. Coleman, a senior out of Memphis, Tennessee, finished second on the team in scoring (10.5 points/game) and third in total assists (47) while shooting over 50 percent from the floor. Moore Jr., the 2022-23 SLIAC Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-SLIAC honoree, averaged a team high 9.9 rebounds per game while finishing third on the team in scoring at 10.1 points per game. He is also the Gorloks all-time blocks leader with 170 career blocks. Sykes II, a sophomore out of St. Louis, averaged 8.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last year while dishing out a team high 52 assists.

The Gorloks also return Markus Becton, Josh Luster, and Alpha Diallo who all made five or more starts in the 2022-23 season. Becton, a senior out of Chicago, Illinois, averaged 8.4 points and 4.9 rebounds in 16 games last year. Luster, a senior out of St. Louis, knocked down 27 three's while dishing out 28 assists in 27 appearances. Diallo, a junior out of Atlanta, Georgia, averaged 3.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in 21 games last season.

Lastly, Nate Jones and Mark Moore return for Webster after each made over 20 appearances last season. Moore, a senior out of Hillsboro, Missouri, made 12 three's in 23 appearances. Jones, a senior out of Huntsville, Alabama, pulled down 1.9 rebounds per game in 21 appearances.

In addition to the returners, Webster also welcomes in 16 newcomers including 13 freshman and three transfers.

Fontbonne (Mo.) University was selected to win the SLIAC after recording 73 points in the poll and five first place votes.

The Gorloks will tip-off their season on Wednesday, November 8^th when they travel to Jacksonville, Illinois, to take on Illinois College for a nonconference matchup. The game is set to start at 7 p.m.