Western was revealed as the overwhelming favorite to win a third straight Sun Belt Conference East Division title during Tuesday’s Sun Belt Media Day.

The Toppers collected 12 of a possible 13 votes in the preseason coaches poll, with Troy taking the other vote. North Texas was predicted to finish atop the West Division.

“I’m not surprised,” coach Ken McDonald said. “I think we’re in a position that if we do what we need to do, we should be right there.

“There’s a different mindset going into the season now. Last year it was an attitude that we wanted to gain some respect, and we really went with that. This year will be different. This year will be, protect what we feel is ours.”

In addition to their team accolades, senior guard A.J. Slaughter was named as the Sun Belt Preseason Player of the Year and was the only Topper selected for the All-Sun Belt First Team. Slaughter averaged 16.0 points per game last season and scored 38 points in two NCAA Tournament contests last season, 24 of them coming in a season-ending loss to No. 10 Gonzaga.

Slaughter said he anticipates having a target on his back, noting that it’s much easier to get to the top than to stay there.

“It’s what I’ve worked my whole college career for, is to be put in a position like this,” Slaughter said. “Now the work really begins, just to know that I’m going to get everyone’s best shot and they’re going to be coming after me.”

Junior forwards Sergio Kerusch and Seffphon Pettrigrew were tabbed as members of the second team, and senior forward Jeremy Evans was named to the third team.

The Toppers won both the East Division and Sun Belt Conference Tournament last season, McDonald’s first at Western, when the team won 25 games and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.