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GLIAC -- The Saginaw Valley State University Men's Basketball team has been picked to finish in second place in the GLIAC South Division for the 2020-21 season in the annual coaches preseason poll. The Cardinals received 45 points and one first-place vote to finish behind Grand Valley State, which received 60 votes and 10 first-place nods. Junior guard Myles Belyeu, who was named a Preseason All-American by the Basketball Times, was named to the Preseason All-GLIAC team as well for the second straight season.

SVSU 2020-21 GLIAC Preview

The Cardinal Men's Basketball team returns nine players from last year's team and four of its five players who started 24 games or more in the 2019-20 campaign. Head Coach Randy Baruth returns for his ninth year at the helm and will have the team's core group returning after losing just one senior starter from last year.

Leading the charge will be two-time All-GLIAC selection, all-region and Basketball Times Preseason All-American in junior guard Myles Belyeu. Belyeu was second in the league last year with his 21.0 ppg and fourth with his 7.3 rpg, leading the GLIAC in total minutes played. Fellow All-GLIAC honoree and senior guard Malik Ellison returns as well to run the point and is coming off a season in which he averaged 17.7 ppg, ranking fourth in the league, and was third with his 72 three-pointers and fourth with 47 steals. Fellow starting senior guard Darnell Hoskins Jr., the program's single season three-point record holder, will help anchor the lineup after ranking third on the team in scoring. Innocent Nwoko returns at center after starting 24 games last season while James Toohey, Delano Smith, Jarno Pomstra, Nick Thran and Tre Garrett all bring experience to the table as well.

Saginaw Valley opens the 2020-21 season Jan. 8-9 at Grand Valley State before opening at home Jan. 15-16 versus Northern Michigan.