— By Bill Cornwell
Marshall’s basketball teams have discovered what Sun Belt Conference coaches think of them.
In the league’s release of its preseason coaches poll, the Thunder Herd men were picked to finish sixth in the 14-team league.
Louisiana was picked to win the Sun Belt title.
A trio of Marshall players earned preseason all-league honors.
Senior guard Taevion Kinsey was a preseason first-team All-Sun Belt pick. Kinsey averaged 19.1 points per game last season and scored 10-plus points in 30 of Marshall’s 31 games.
MU junior guards Andrew Taylor and Kamdyn Kurman were named preseason All-Sun Belt third team.
Taylor averaged 14.2 points and 4.4 assists per game last season and recorded three double-doubles.
Kurfman, a VMI transfer, averaged 15.7 per game last season with the Keydets, while hitting 117 three-pointers, the second most among Division I players. Kurfman shot nearly 40 percent from behind the 3-point line and had 29 double-digit scoring efforts for the Keydets.
Louisiana junior forward Jordan Brown was selected the Sun Belt Conference Preseason Men’s Basketball Player of the Year.
On the women’s side, coaches picked Marshall to finish 10th out of 14 teams in the Sun Belt.
Troy was the pick to win the Sun Belt Conference women’s basketball title and the Trojans’ senior forward Felmas Koranga is the preseason selection as conference Player of the Year.
No Marshall players were named to a Sun Belt Women’s Preseason All-League team.
Marshall’s men’s team opens its regular season November 7 at Queens University in Charlotte.
Marshall’s women start the regular season November 10 at Purdue.
2022-23 Sun Belt Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Louisiana – 190 (10)
2. Texas State – 162 (1)
3. South Alabama – 150 (1)
4. James Madison – 149 (1)
5. Georgia State – 127 (1)
6. Marshall – 122
7. App State – 120
8. Coastal Carolina – 100
9. Old Dominion – 93
10. Troy – 76
11. Georgia Southern – 69
12. Arkansas State – 48
13. Southern Miss – 34
14. ULM – 30
2022-23 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Troy (12) – 194
2. Old Dominion (1) – 166
3. Louisiana – 161
4. Southern Miss – 137
5. Texas State – 135
6. James Madison – 130
7. Georgia Southern (1) – 108
8. App State – 102
9. Arkansas State – 96
10. Marshall – 91
11. Georgia State – 50
12. Coastal Carolina – 45
13. South Alabama – 38
14. ULM – 17