Hatters Picked Third in Preseason Poll; Perry, Diawara Honored

Stetson's Rob Perry and Mahamadou Diawara were unanimously selected to the ASUN's Preseason All-Conference team, and the Hatters were picked to finish third in preseason voting by head coach, the league office announced on Thursday.

Stetson received two first place votes and 64 votes overall, finishing just 10 votes behind preseason favorite Lipscomb (74), and two votes behind second-place Liberty (66). North Florida (56), FGCU (45), North Alabama (40), Jacksonville (29), newcomer Bellarmine (18) and Kennesaw State (13) round out the poll.

Perry and Diawara, both sophomores, were selected to the 10-man preseason team one year after each earned ASUN All-Freshman and national Freshman All-America honors.

Perry led the Hatters in scoring and topped the ASUN in three-point field-goal percentage (.426), setting a Stetson freshman record with 69 3-pointers as he earned conference Freshman of the Year and second-team all-conference honors.

Diawara led the Hatters in rebounding with 6.5 boards per game while also averaging 12.5 points. He was third in the ASUN in field-goal percentage (.585) and scored in double figures 22 times.

For the Hatters, this is their highest preseason ranking since at least 2005, as conference records don't go back any farther. Stetson received two first-place votes in this year's poll.

Picked to finish last a season ago, the Donnie Jones-coached Hatters stunned the ASUN last year by finishing tied for third. Stetson's 16 wins were not only the program's most in 12 years, but the 9-win improvement was the best for a team with a first-year head coach.

About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.

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Players Mentioned

#15 Mahamadou Diawara: F/C; 6' 10"; Sophomore

#2 Rob Perry: G; 6' 4"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#15 Mahamadou Diawara
: 6' 10"; Sophomore
: F/C

#2 Rob Perry
: 6' 4"; Sophomore
: G

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Hatters Picked Third in Preseason Poll; Perry, Diawara Honored

Players Mentioned

#15 Mahamadou Diawara

#2 Rob Perry

Players Mentioned

#15 Mahamadou Diawara

#2 Rob Perry