LIVINGSTON, Ala. — West Alabama’s men’s basketball team was selected seventh in the Gulf South Conference’s pre-season men’s basketball coaches’ poll, released by the conference office on Thursday.

The Tigers, under first-year head coach Eddie McCarter, will have a new look with 11 newcomers joining the program for the upcoming 2007-08 season.  McCarter has seniors on the squad – Layton Knight, Michael Billings and Abdoulaye N’diaye.  UWA opened pre-season drills this week in preparation for the upcoming season that begins on Nov. 1 in an exhibition contest with UAB in Birmingham, Ala.  The Red and White open the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 17 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. to face Stillman College.

McCarter is one of two new coaches in the GSC this season.  The University of West Georgia squad is also under new guidance with Michael Cooney at the helm for the Wolves.  McCarter comes to UWA after a one-year stint at UAB as the Director of Basketball Operations under head coach Mike Davis.  The Birmingham, Ala.-native has 14 years of head coaching experience at the University of Texas at Arlington.  He left UTA as the school’s all-time winningest coach with 179 wins.

The University of Montevallo was selected to claim the Eastern Division title while Christian Brothers University was the top choice on the Western side of the league.  UM was also predicted to win the GSC Tournament in 2008.

UWA will open its 14-game home slate against Delta State on Wednesday, Nov. 21 at 6 p.m. in Pruitt Hall.