By: Mark Wasik
Purchase Season Tickets | 2022-23 KSU Schedule
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KENNESAW, Ga. – Junior guard
Chris Youngblood is the first Kennesaw State player to earn preseason honors in three years as he was named to the ASUN Conference men's basketball Preseason All-Conference Team, while the Owls were picked to finish sixth in the preseason media poll, the league office announced Wednesday. KSU was also predicted to place eighth in a close vote in the coach's poll in the 14-team league.
Youngblood is one of the top offensive threats in the ASUN. The Tuscaloosa, Ala., native led the Owls and was 11th in the ASUN in scoring last season with a career-best 13.9 points per game. He also ranked among the league leaders in field goal percentage (fifth at 47.6%), rebounding (20th at 5.2), and three-pointers made (10th at 2.33 pg). Youngblood recorded four 20+ point games during the season and led the Owls in scoring in a team-high 11 contests, while also finishing as the top rebounder nine times. He came up big at critical times, scoring the game-winners in a pair of road ASUN victories, at North Florida and Bellarmine.
Liberty was the preseason favorite in both the media and coach's poll. In fact, the top-four teams were the same in both polls. Jacksonville (second), Jacksonville State (third) and FGCU (tied third, fourth) followed Liberty. In the media poll, the Owls garnered 244 total votes for sixth place, behind defending ASUN tournament champion Bellarmine (270) and ahead of North Florida in seventh place. The coaches' poll meanwhile saw North Florida place fifth, Lipscomb and Bellarmine tie for sixth with 116 votes, while KSU placed eighth with 108.
The Owls, under fourth-year head coach
Amir Abdur-Rahim, are coming off arguably their best season in their Division I history, and return all five starters from a season ago. Senior point guard
Terrell Burden, senior guard
Spencer Rodgers, junior forward
Brandon Stroud and junior center
Demond Robinson join Youngblood as returning starters. In addition, the Owls added four new scholarship players, highlighted by Temple transfer
Quincy Ademokoya and 2022 Metro Atlanta Boys Player of the Year
Simeon Cottle.
The Owls will begin the 2022-23 season at home on Monday, Nov. 7 against LaGrange College in the Convocation Center. New season tickets and renewals are now on sale. Season ticket packages start at only $109 for the Owls' 13-game men's basketball home schedule. Courtside season tickets are available now as well for Owl Fund members. Click
here to secure your seats now! Please call the ticket office at 470-578-6957 to purchase courtside seats.
Don't miss the best combo deals, as fans can purchase the men's and women's basketball season ticket combo for $149 for all games. In addition, the Scrappy Combo is back, with season tickets for men's basketball, women's basketball, and baseball for just $185. All ticket info is available at
KSUOwls.com/tickets.
2022-23 Preseason All-ASUN Team
Darius McGhee, Liberty, Sr., G
Kevion Nolan, Jacksonville, Jr. G
Ahsan Asadullah, Lipscomb, Sr., C
Camren Hunter, Central Arkansas, So., G
Michael Moreno, Eastern Kentucky, Jr, F
Chase Johnston, FGCU, Jr. G
Chris Youngblood, Kennesaw State, Jr., G
Kyle Rode, Liberty, Sr., F
Carter Hendricksen, North Florida, Sr., F
Jose Placer, North Florida, Jr., G
2022-23 ASUN Preseason Men's Basketball Coaches' Poll
Place Team (1st place votes) Votes
1. Liberty (10) – 192
2. Jacksonville (3) – 171
3. Jacksonville State – 148
4. FGCU – 136
5. North Florida (1) – 127
6. Lipscomb – 116
Bellarmine – 116
8. Kennesaw State – 108
9. Austin Peay – 88
10. Eastern Kentucky – 87
11. Central Arkansas – 52
12. Stetson – 50
13. Queens – 42
14. North Alabama – 37
2022-23 ASUN Preseason Men's Basketball Media Poll
Place Team (1st place votes) Votes
1. Liberty (20) – 402
2. Jacksonville (8) – 365
3. Jacksonville State – 335
FGCU – 331
5. Bellarmine – 270
6. Kennesaw State – 244
7. North Florida – 207
8. Lipscomb (1) – 202
9. Austin Peay (1) – 189
10. Eastern Kentucky – 186
11. Central Arkansas – 159
12. North Alabama – 101
13. Stetson – 89
14. Queens - 70
