[HORIZON: Men] Cleveland State, the defending Horizon League champion, was voted the preseason favorite for the 2013 season.
Detroit, Milwaukee,Oakland, UIC and Wright State all joined the Vikings in receiving first-place votes, but CSU with three first-place votes was the only school to appear at the top of more than one coaches’poll.
Cleveland State, which finished second in the regular season standings last season before winning the tournament championship to advance to the NCAA Tournament, returns twoall-league performers last season in seniors Aslinn Rodas and Admir Suljevic. Also back for the Vikings are
Milwaukee andOakland both received 34 points in the poll to finish in a tie for second. The Panthers return nine starters, Laurie Bell, who led the team 21 points lastseason.
Oakland, which won the Summit League regular season title with a 5-1-1 League mark last year, will look to make its mark in the Horizon League this season. The Golden Grizzliesreturn three players — Miche’Le Lipari, Scott Messer and John Timm — whoearned all-league status last season in the Summit League.
Detroit and UIC were next in the poll in a tie for fourth after both teams finished with 30 points in the poll.
TheTitans, who were the regular-season champions last season with a 6-1-0 record, return eight starters from last year’s squad, including senior Adam Bedell,who was the League’s Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year last season.
Jesus Torres will lead the Flames, who return 13letterwinners from last season’s team that finished third in the regular season.
Wright State, which returns the Newcomer of the Year in sophomore Brett Elder, finished sixth in the poll, narrowly edging out Valparaiso. Green Bay rounded out the poll in eighth place.