Bulldogs Picked to Finish 2nd in Preseason Poll

Tougaloo, Miss. - The Gulf Coast Athletic Conference recently announced its 2017-2018 Preseason Rankings and All-Conference selections. The Bulldogs were picked to finished 2nd behind Dillard University.

The Gulf Coast Athletic Conference pre-season basketball rankings are conducted using a panel of head coaches at GCAC schools. Each coach submits a Top-7 with a first-place vote worth 7 points, second place 6, and so on down to 1 point for 7th place. The Bulldogs had the biggest leap in the conference, moving up from #4 in the 2016-2016 preseason rankings to #2 in the 2017-2018 rankings. In the 2016-2017 campaign, the Bulldogs finished one shy of its preseason spot at #5 with a conference record of 5-7 and overall record of 10-16.

Tougaloo's Anfernee Parker and Tonzell Handy were selected to the Preseason All-Conference Team. Parker, a junior guard from Camden, Miss is a returning starter from last season who averaged 7.8 points per game and 2.15 assists per game. Handy, a junior forward from Jackson, Miss is a transfer from East Central Community College. At ECCC, Handy averaged 14.8 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game in the 2016-2017 season. He has been reconnected back with Head Coach Thomas Billups, who coached Handy at Lanier High School before his departure.

The Bulldogs will open the 2017-2018 campaign on Thursday, November 2nd as they host Rust College. Tip-off is set for 7:30 P.M. in the Dawg Pound.