PHILADELPHIA — The Xavier men's basketball team is picked to win the Atlantic 10 West Division in voting by the league's coaches and media.

PRESEASON POLL

Predicted order of finish (First-place votes in parentheses).   WEST DIVISION   1. Xavier (41)   2. Dayton (7)   3. Richmond   4. La Salle   5. George Washington   6. Duquesne   EAST DIVISION   1. Saint Joseph's (48)   2. Temple   3. Massachusetts   4. Fordham   5. St. Bonaventure   6. Rhode Island

        Thad Matta, who will have just nine scholarship players in his first season as XU's coach, chuckled when informed voters liked his team best. “They must know something I don't know,” he said.

        XU, returning three double-figure scorers from a 21-8 NCAA Tournament team, received 41 of 48 first-place votes. Dayton, picked second in the West, got the other seven. Saint Joseph's received all 48 first-place votes in A-10 East balloting.

        XU junior center David West, the league's reigning player of the year, was selected preseason first-team all-conference. Sophomore teammate Romain Sato is a third-team pick. Freshman Keith Jackson is picked for the all-rookie team, and West is on the all-defensive team.

        Four of the five players who finished on the first team last season are back, all first-team picks: West, Saint Joseph's Marvin O'Connor, LaSalle's Rasual Butler and Temple's Lynn Greer. The other first-team selection is Jameer Nelson of St. Joe's, who was second team last winter.

        There is no balloting on an overall A-10 team champion or player of the year in preseason.

        “I've never been real consumed with preseason picks,” Matta said. “Anything is possible.”

        PRESEASON TEAM

        First team: David West, Xavier, jr. C; Marvin O'Connor, Saint Joseph's, sr. G; Jameer Nelson, Saint Joseph's, so. G; Lynn Greer, Temple, sr. G; Rasual Butler, La Salle, sr. F
        Second team: J.R. Bremer, St. Bonaventure, sr. G; Kevin Lyde, Temple, sr. C; Chris Monroe, George Washington, jr. G; Bill Phillips, Saint Joseph's, sr. F; Kitwana Rhymer, Massachusetts, sr. F/C
        Third team: Romain Sato, Xavier, so. G; Brooks Hall, Dayton, jr. F; Keith Waleskowski, Dayton, so. F/C; Jeff McMillan, Fordham, so. F; Wayne Smith, Duquesne, sr. F
        Rookie team: Keith Jackson, Xavier; Tamal Forchion, George Washington; Simplice Njoya, Duquesne; Adrian Walton, Fordham; Delonte West, Saint Joseph's
        Defensive team: David West, Xavier; Lynn Greer, Temple; Kevin Lyde, Temple; Jameer Nelson, Saint Joseph's; Kitwana Rhymer, Massachusetts