DENVER- Western Athletic Conference coaches and media alike picked the Idaho men's basketball team to finish fifth in the league's preseason ballot released on Tuesday.

"I think it kind of proves what we've done over the last three years," Idaho coach Don Verlin said. "We're building a solid, stable program here, and I think that's why we were picked as high as we were, despite returning only one full-time starter and losing as many guys as we did."

Idaho junior center Kyle Barone, a 2011 honorable mention All-WAC pick, was selected to the coaches preseason All-WAC second team.

The coaches picked Nevada first, and the media picked Utah State to win the conference.

The Vandal men were picked eighth last season before rattling off an 18-14 record - their best under Verlin - and a 9-7 WAC tally and third-place finish. The fifth-place selection is the highest since the team was picked fourth in both polls on the 2009-10 preseason ballot.

The team's first public appearance will be on Saturday for the Black vs. Gold Scrimmage at 7 p.m. at Memorial Gym. There will also be a 20-minute public scrimmage on Tuesday, Oct. 25, at North Idaho College at 7 p.m. Vandal freshman Connor Hill is a former Post Falls High star. Idaho plays its first competitive exhibition game on Friday, Oct. 28, against Evergreen State at Memorial Gym.

COACHES PRESEASON POLL

1, Nevada. 2, New Mexico State. 3, Utah State. 4. Hawaii. 5, Idaho. 6, Fresno State. 7, San Jose State. 8, Louisiana Tech.

PRESEASON ALL-WAC COACHES TEAMS

FIRST TEAM - Deonte Burton, So., G, Nevada; Vander Joaquim, Jr., C,; Hawaii; Zane Johnson, Sr., G, Hawaii; Wendell McKines, Sr., F, New Mexico State; Brockeith Pane, Sr., G, Utah State

SECOND TEAM - Kyle Barone, Jr., C, Idaho; Dario Hunt, Sr., F, Nevada; Hernst Laroche, Sr., G, New Mexico State; Brady Jardine, Sr., F, Utah State; Malik Story, Jr., G, Nevada

Coaches Preseason Player of the Year: Deonte Burton, So., G, Nevada.

MEDIA PRESEASON POLL

1, Utah State. 2, Nevada. 3, New Mexico State. 4, Hawaii. 5, Idaho. 6, San Jose State. 7, Fresno State. 8, Louisiana Tech.

MEDIA PRESEASON ALL-WAC TEAM

Deonte Burton, So., G, Nevada; Dario Hunt, Sr., F, Nevada; Zane Johnson, Sr., G, Hawaii; Wendell McKines, Sr., F, New Mexico State; Brockeith Pane, Sr., G, Utah State.

Media Preseason Player of the Year: Brockeith Pane, Sr., G, Utah State

Media Preseason Newcomer of the Year: Shaquille Stokes, Fr., G, Hawaii

Idaho women picked

seventh by coaches, media

The Idaho women's basketball team was picked to finish seventh in the Western Athletic Conference in 2011-12 by both the league's head coaches and media, as the conference released both polls Tuesday.

The Vandals lost six letter winners, including four starters, from last year's team that won 15 games and ended a 25-year postseason drought with a bid to the Women's Basketball Invitational. Idaho coach Jon Newlee has reloaded his roster with the addition of five freshmen for the 2011-12 season.

"Anytime you lose four starters and your leading scorers, you're going to get picked lower just because people don't know who your new players are and they're not familiar with them," Newlee said. "But like I always say, whether you get picked first or last, it doesn't really matter because it is a preseason poll, and it's just that, it's just people's opinion. We'll see how it plays out. I've been picked everywhere from first to last in my time, and it doesn't really seem to matter come March."

Louisiana Tech, which went 15-1 in WAC regular season play in 2010-11, was picked to win the league by both the coaches and the media.

PRESEASON MEDIA POLL

1, Louisiana Tech. 2, Fresno State. 3, Utah State. 4, Nevada. 5, Hawaii. 6, New Mexico State. 7, Idaho. 8, San Jose State.

PRESEASON MEDIA ALL-WAC TEAMS

FIRST TEAM -Jasmine Bendolph, Louisiana Tech; Ashlee Brown, Utah State; Kamilah Jackson, Hawai'i; Rosie Moult, Fresno State; Tabytha Wampler, New Mexico State.

SECOND TEAM - Shantale Bramble-Donaldson, Louisiana Tech; Amanda Johnson, Nevada; Whitney Jones, Louisiana Tech; Taylor Thompson, Fresno State; Kayla Williams, Nevada

Preseason Player of the Year: Ashlee Brown, Utah State

PRESEASON COACHES POLL

1, Louisiana Tech. 2, Utah State. 3, Fresno State. 4, Nevada. 5. Hawaii. 6, New Mexico State. 7, Idaho. 8, San Jose State.

PRESEASON COACHES ALL-WAC TEAMS

FIRST TEAM - Jasmine Bendolph, Louisiana Tech; Ashlee Brown, Utah State; Whitney Jones, Louisiana Tech; Rosie Moult, Fresno State; Kayla Williams, Nevada.

SECOND TEAM - Devyn Christensen, Utah State; Kamilah Jackson, Hawai'i; Shawna-Lei Kuehu, Hawai'i; Taylor Thompson, Fresno State; Tabytha Wampler, New Mexico State

Preseason Player of the Year: Ashlee Brown, Utah State