KANSAS CITY – One day after it was revealed that the University of Pikeville is the coaches pick to win the AAC, it learned that it's a Top 25 team in the nation.
 
The NAIA preseason poll was released on Wednesday, and in it the Bears were picked No. 21 in the country.
 
Grace (Ind.) is the No. 1 team in the preseason poll, followed by Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) – which visits UPike on Saturday, Dec. 21 – Arizona Christian, Rocky Mountain (Mont.) and Indiana Wesleyan in the preseason Top 5.
 
Grace received 14 of the 19 first-place votes. Freed-Hardeman received four and Arizona Christian the other.
 
Nelson (Texas), Georgetown, Langston (Okla.), LSU Shreveport and Cumberlands complete the Top 10.
 
UPike will open the season on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at Cumberlands.
 
The Bears graduated four starters from last season's team, which finished at No. 6 in the final poll of the season. The lone returner, however, is Zion Blevins, who was named the AAC defender and freshman of the year.
 
Blevins, a 6-7 sophomore from Chapmanville, W.Va., averaged 11.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. He was efficient on the offensive end, shooting 1.6 percent shooting from the floor and 83.7 percent from the line, which were both fifth in the conference.
 
He earned the honor as the league's top defensive player thanks to blocking 46 shots while pulling down 134 defensive rebounds and recording 20 steals.
 
Junior guard Jaylan Rigdon also returns for the Bears. He averaged 6.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He was a solid ball handler, finishing with 81 assists compared to only 37 turnovers.
 
He was also the league's best free throw shooter, hitting 88 percent from the line.
 
After returning from Cumberlands, the Bears will open their home schedule on Friday, Nov. 6 against WVU Tech at the UPike Gym. That game is part of the UPike Classic and will begin at 8 p.m.
 
--UPIKE--