FRISCO, Texas – After a quick glance at the 2019 Southland Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Poll, one thing is certain, and that is that is a great deal of uncertainty about the 2019-20 Southland Conference basketball season. The Cardinals have been picked sixth in the preseason poll despite having received a first-place vote according to the poll which was released by the Southland Conference office Thursday morning.
 
The Cardinals were one of five teams to receive a first place vote – New Orleans, Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin and Central Arkansas. Oddly, SFA – who didn't qualify for the conference tournament last season – was picked ahead of LU, while Abilene Christian – the 2019 Southland Conference runner-up and tournament champion – didn't receive a first-place vote.
 
"To be picked sixth in October really doesn't mean whole lot to our team or my staff," said LU head coach Tic Price. "We're more concerned with what the standings say in March than anything else. We understand that the polls are fun for the fans and the media. With so many teams receiving first-place votes that tells me this season is wide open."
 
The Cardinals received 163 votes in the poll to be picked sixth, just 17 points behind UCA and five votes ahead of rival McNeese. To continue with the uncertainty of the league voters, UCA received four first-place votes but was slotted fifth.
 
New Orleans is the 2019 preseason favorite with 13 first-place votes and 270 total votes, just ahead of last year's regular-season champion, Sam Houston State (7 first-place votes and 251 total votes).
 
The Cardinals ended the 2019 regular season winning eight-straight games to finish in a three-way tie for third. Big Red was hurt in the current poll due to the overall youth of the team. The Cardinals return only four letterwinners from last year and enter the season with nine new players.
 
The preseason poll is voted on by the league head coaches and media relations directors.