— By Bill Cornwell
If Sun Belt Conference basketball head coaches are accurate in predicting what’s to come, the upcoming basketball season will be at least fairly successful in Huntington.
The Sun Belt has released its Preseason Coaches Polls for both men’s and women’s basketball, along with preseason All-Conference teams.
The Herd men’s team is picked to finish fifth in the Sun Belt behind favorite Arkansas State, James Madison, Troy and South Alabama.
One Marshall player, fifth-year guard Noah Otshudi, was named to the Sun Belt Preseason All-Conference first feam.
A Hamilton, Ontario native, Otshudi is the Herd’s leading returning scorer after he averaged 14.5 points to go with 3.4 assists last season. He also connected a team-leading 93 free throws at a team-best 84.5 percent last season. Otshudi finished seventh in the league with his 110 assists, added 3.4 rebounds on average and shot a plenty respectable 46 percent from the field, including 49.8 percent on two-point field goals.
Otshudi scored in double figures in 25 of 31 games he played in.
Southern Miss swingman Isaac Taveras is the Sun Belt Preseason Player of the Year after averaging 15.3 points on better than 51 percent shooting to go with 6.8 rebounds last season.
The Marshall men have a pair of exhibition games upcoming at the Cam Henderson Center — first Thursday against West Virginia Wesleyan and next Wednesday against Pikeville.
The regular season opener takes place in Huntington on November 2 against Buffalo as part of the Mid-American Conference-Sun Belt Challenge.
After winning the WNIT last season, the Marshall women are thought highly of and have been slotted fourth in the Sun Belt Preseason Poll, behind the favorite in James Madison, as well as Troy and Arkansas State.
The Herd received one first-place vote.
Sophomore guard Olivia Olson was named to the All-Sun Belt second team.
Olson is coming off an injury-shortened 2025-26 season. She started all 16 games she played in, averaged 12.9 points and made 42 three-pointers.
Arkansas State guard Crislyn Rose is the league’s Preseason Player of the Year. Rose averaged 11.2 points, 4.6 assists and one steal last season.
The Marshall women have an exhibition against Kentucky Christian on Tuesday at the Henderson Center and also open the regular season on November 2 with a contest at Massachusetts.
Sun Belt Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Arkansas State (3) – 182
2. James Madison (9) – 176
3. Troy – 143
4. South Alabama – 136
5. Marshall – 125
6. Louisiana – 117
7. Southern Miss (2) – 109
8. App State – 105
9. Georgia Southern – 85
10. Georgia State – 79
11. Old Dominion – 76
12. Louisiana Tech – 64
13. Coastal Carolina – 58
14. UL Monroe – 15
*Parentheses indicate first-place votes
Sun Belt Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. James Madison – 189 (11)
2. Troy – 166
3. Arkansas State – 165 (1)
4. Marshall – 151 (1)
5. Louisiana Tech – 148 (1)
6. Old Dominion – 106
T7. Coastal Carolina – 99
T7. Southern Miss – 99
9. App State – 79
10. UL Monroe – 77
11. Georgia Southern – 62
12. South Alabama – 61
13. Louisiana – 42
14. Georgia State – 26
*Parentheses indicate first-place votes