The Lees-McRae College men's basketball program is picked to finish 10th in the race for the 2012-13 Conference Carolinas regular season championship, announced league officials Monday with the release of the preseason coaches'

poll. Lees-McRae enters a new era under the direction of first-year head coach Steve Hardin, who served as the Bobcats' top assistant during the last two seasons. The Bobcats return four of their five starters from a season ago, including seniors Daniel Sepokas (Illawong, Australia) and Jeremiah Henry (Semmes, Ala.). Lees-McRae retains over 85 percent of the team's scoring from last season, returning a veteran squad that features seven seniors and four juniors.
Barton College tops the poll with 88 points and four first-place votes, followed closely by King College (84 points, three first-place votes) and Mount Olive College (81 points, two first-place votes). Queens University of Charlotte is fourth with 79 points, followed by Belmont Abbey College (66) in fifth. Coker College and Limestone College are tied for sixth with 52 points each, followed by Pfeiffer University (37), Erskine College (29), Lees-McRae (20), and North Greenville University (17).
Lees-McRae opens its exhibition schedule on Friday, November 2 when the Bobcats travel to nearby Boone, N.C. to take on NCAA Division I Appalachian State University at 7 p.m. The Bobcats kick off the 2012-13 regular season on Saturday, November 10 when they host Johnson C. Smith University at 6 p.m. in Williams Gymnasium.

2012-2013 Conference Carolinas Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
Rk.  School   (1st-place votes)  Points
1.  Barton            (4)          88
2.  King              (3)          84
3.  Mount Olive       (2)          81
4.  Queens                         79
5.  Belmont Abbey                  66
6.  Coker                          52
    Limestone                      52
8.  Pfeiffer                       37
9.  Erskine                        29
10. Lees-McRae                     20
11. North Greenville               17