HOUSTON, Texas | Alabama State junior guard TJ Madlock was selected Second-Team Preseason All-Conference, announced by the conference office at Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) at Men's Basketball Media Days on Wednesday morning.
 
Madlock, the reigning SWAC Newcomer of the Year, returns after playing in 31 games last season (all starts) and averaged 11.2 points per game. He averaged 33.1 minutes per game, grabbing 189 total rebounds and averaging 6.1 rebounds per game.
 
The Memphis (Tenn.) native shot 35.9 (121-for-337) percent from the floor and 26.9 (25-for-33) percent from beyond the arc, while also converting on 70.4 (81-for-115) percent of his free throws. He also dished out 91 assists, recorded 11 blocks, and added 42 steals last season. Madlock scored a career-high 25 points against UAB (11/7/22) and grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds against Alabama A&M (2/25/23) last season.
 
He was joined on the second team by Romelle Mansel (Jackson State), Ken Evans, Jr. (Jackson State), Joe French (UAPB), and Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Jourdan Smith (Grambling State). The first team was made up of Preseason Player of the Year PJ Henry (Texas Southern), Jeremiah Kendall (Alcorn State), Zion Harmon (Bethune-Cookman), Chase Adams (Jackson State), and Kylen Milton (UAPB).
 
Meanwhile, the Hornets were picked eighth in the preseason poll on a vote of the league's head coaches and communications professionals. Alabama State (121 votes) was picked behind Alabama A&M (140) and Prairie View A&M (151). The top five consisted of Texas Southern (240), Grambling State (233), Alcorn State (214), Jackson State (213), and Southern (153).
 
Alabama State opens the 2023-24 season with an exhibition contest against LaGrange on October 30 inside the Dunn-Oliver Acadome.
 
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