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Basketball preseason polls

The Western Athletic Conference annouced the preseason basketball polls Thursday for its men’s and women’s teams.

The Bulldogs men’s basketball team, which finished last season with the first losing record since the 1993-94 season, was picked to finish eighth by the media and ninth by the coaches.

The Fresno State men’s squad will return three letterwinners from a team that finished 14-15 and 10-8 in conference play a year ago, led by senior Mustafa Al-Sayyad.

Al-Sayyad returns as the leading scorer (8.4 ppg) and rebounder (7.3 rpg).

The Fresno State women’s basketball team was picked to finish sixth by the coaches after a 13-16 season last year.

The women’s squad returns eight letterwinners, highlighted by seniors Aritta Lane and Veronica Mack.
Lane, a forward, returns as the leading scorer for the Bulldogs, averaging 12.5 points per game last season while bringing down 5.6 rebounds a game.

Mack will lead Fresno State at guard, where last season she averaged 8.9 points per game and compiled 63 assists.

Texas El-Paso was picked to win the WAC on the men’s side and Louisiana Tech was choosen to top the women’s side.