MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The University of Mobile Men's Basketball program, led by fifth-year head coach Darnell Archey, has been ranked No. 1 in the SSAC Men's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll, the conference office announced on Wednesday, Nov. 18.
Mobile is coming off its first winning season since the 2012-13 season last year, with the Rams finishing the 2022-23 campaign with an 18-11 overall record. Additionally, Mobile finished 12-8 in conference action in the SSAC and is set return the entire starting lineup ahead of the 2023-24 season, which is slated to begin on Friday, Oct. 27 against Pensacola Christian College (Fla.) in Pharr Gymnasium.
"We are honored to be picked preseason No. 1 in the SSAC," head coach Darnell Archey said following the release of this year's preseason conference poll. "Our players, managers and the coaching staff are extremely thankful to have the respect from the league. While it is a honor, we do realize it means nothing if we don't continue to improve daily and embrace the journey. We know winning the SSAC is earned and we are excited about the process to reach the goal."
A full look at the 2023-24 SSAC Men's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll can be found below:
2023-24 SSAC Men's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll
- Mobile (Ala.) – 159 (6)
- Life (Ga.) – 141 (2)
- Faulkner (Ala.) – 138 (2)
- Loyola (La.) – 138 (2)
- Stillman (Ala.) – 100
- UT Southern (Tenn.) – 95
- Thomas (Ga.) – 89
- Dalton State (Ga.) – 84
- Blue Mountain Christian (Miss.) – 72 (1)
- Brewton-Parker (Ga.) - 55
- Middle Georgia State – 52
- Point (Ga.) – 31
- William Carey (Miss.) - 29
The Basics
- The 2024 SSAC Men's Basketball Championship will take place Feb. 28 – March 2 at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala.
- Loyola University swept the regular season and tournament titles last season.
- Mobile returns NAIA Honorable Mention All-America selection Ezra McKenna and First-Team All-Conference pick DaMariee Jones.
- McKenna was the NAIA's selection for the Emil S. Liston Scholarship Award this year.
- Life returns SSAC Freshman of the Year Joshua Ward (15 ppg, 3.8 apg).
- Faulkner returns SSAC 6th Man of the Year Jonathan Garcia (8.5 ppg) and Loyola returns Milan Mejia (11 ppg).
- In 2022-23, Faulkner, Life, Loyola and Thomas all earned bids to the NAIA First & Second Round of Nationals.
FOLLOW THE RAMS
For complete coverage of University of Mobile Athletics, follow the Rams on social media at /MobileRams (Facebook), @UMobileRams (Twitter), and @umobilerams (Instagram), or visit the official home of the University of Mobile Athletic Department at https://umobilerams.com/.
About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.
For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
