TYLER —
Upon learning that Jacksonville College has a “character coach” listed among its staff this season, new Trinity Valley Community College head men’s basketball coach Kris Baumann had a question.
“I don’t know what that is,” Baumann said, turning to Jacksonville head coach Jody Bailey at Wednesday’s Region XIV Media Tip-Off, “but I’ve got some characters on my team this year. So if you’ve got any references ....”
With this group of coaches, wisecracking is always par for the course. So it looks like Baumann is going to fit right in.
His Cardinals — 21-10 a season ago under former head coach Pat Smith — were picked to finish third in the North Zone by his peers in the annual Coaches Poll released at the Tip-Off, which was held this year at Tyler Junior College and sponsored by the Tyler Morning Telegraph.
Navarro, last year’s regional tournament champion, was picked to finish first in the North Zone, receiving 12 of 14 first-place votes. San Jacinto, with six first-place votes, was picked to win the South Zone — which will welcome a new team, Coastal Bend College, this season.
The defending national champion TVCC Lady Cardinals once again received high respect from conference coaches, claiming all nine first-place votes to finish atop the women’s poll. Tyler was picked second and Paris third.
The Lady Cards, who finished 36-0 in 2011, also have a new head coach in Elena Lovato. Lovato is a former assistant who guided the team to the national tournament as an interim coach in 2009.
Lovato had one returning player from last year’s team — Keiana Vines — until the sophomore suffered a season-ending knee injury recently.
“We’re young, but we’re working hard and getting better every day,” Lovato said.
COACHES POLL RESULTS
WOMEN
1. TVCC (9) 81
2. Tyler 72
3. Paris 55
4. Blinn 50
5. Angelina 45
6. Kilgore 39
7. Panola 27
8. San Jacinto 24
9. Jacksonville 12
MEN
NORTH ZONE
1. Navarro (12) 95
2. Paris 68
3. TVCC (1) 67
4. Tyler (1) 60
5. Kilgore 57
6. Panola 30
7. Bossier Parish 15
SOUTH ZONE
1. San Jacinto (6) 83
2. Blinn (2) 70
3. Jacksonville (4) 67
4. Lee (2) 63
5. Angelina 45
6. Lamar State-Port Arthur 43
7. Coastal Bend 21
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