Monarchs picked fifth in C-USA men’s basketball poll

Old Dominion junior forward Kalu Ezikpe was named a preseason All-Conference USA men’s basketball honoree, the league announced Thursday. The Monarchs were picked to finish fifth in the league’s preseason poll.

Ahead of the Monarchs in the poll, as voted on by C-USA head coaches, are Alabama Birmingham, Louisiana Tech, Western Kentucky and Marshall.

The 6-foot-8 Ezikpe has appeared in all 89 games for ODU throughout his three seasons. Last season, he started all 23 games, scoring 10.3 points per game, which was second on the team.

Ezikpe also pulled down a team-high 155 rebounds, averaging 6.7 per contest. Within Conference USA, he ranked fifth in blocked shots (1.48), sixth in defensive rebounds (4.87), seventh in rebounds (6.7) and 14th in offensive rebounds (1.87).

Last season, coach Jeff Jones guided ODU to a 15-8 overall record and an 11-5 mark in league play, which earned the Monarchs a No. 2 seed in the C-USA Tournament and a first-round bye. Jones’ 525 career victories rank 61st all-time in NCAA Division I; he’s 168-94 with ODU.

Conference USA preseason poll

(First-place votes in parentheses)

1. UAB (8) – 190

2. Louisiana Tech (6) – 184

3. Western Kentucky – 162

4. Marshall – 147

5. Old Dominion – 130

6. North Texas – 124

7. Charlotte – 110

8. Rice – 104

9. Florida Atlantic – 84

10. UTEP – 82

11. UTSA – 48

12. Southern Miss – 42

13. Florida International – 36

14. Middle Tennessee – 28

Preseason All-Conference USA Team

Jahmir Young, Charlotte

Tavion Kinsey, Marshall

Kenneth Lofton Jr., Louisiana Tech

Josh Anderson, WKU

Quincy Olivari, Rice

Tyler Stevenson, Southern Miss

Tavin Lovan, UAB

Souley Boum, UTEP

Thomas Bell, North Texas

Kalu Ezikpe, Old Dominion

Isaiah Crawford, Louisiana Tech