OOLTEWAH, Tenn. (September 4, 2024) – The Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook released the men's basketball preseason awards for the Atlantic Sun Conference on Wednesday, ranking the University of North Alabama second in the poll.
 
In addition, Blue Ribbon announced a preseason all-conference team which includes junior guard Jacari Lane. Last season, Lane finished with 14.7 points per game and 15.9 PPG in conference play, earning first team all-conference honors from the ASUN. Lane is the only returning player in the league who earned first team all-conference honors last season.
 
Blue Ribbon also announced a Newcomer of the Year, naming UNA senior guard Daniel Ortiz for that award. Though technically a newcomer, Ortiz is no stranger to the Lions. He spent two seasons at UNA before transferring to UAB, where he helped the Blazers win the 2024 American Conference Championship and appear in the NCAA Tournament. Ortiz is now back in Florence for his senior season, where he earned second team all-conference honors as a sophomore in 2023.
 
The Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook is a comprehensive college basketball publication that has been in yearly circulation since 1981. According to the Blue Ribbon website, the magazine is used as a scouting tool for coaches, an informational guide to media and broadcasters and a tool for scouts at the NBA level.
 
The Lions made a run to the 2024 Atlantic Sun Conference semifinal round last season, returning five players and three starters from that team.
 
Lipscomb was picked first in the poll. The third-seeded Bisons were eliminated by the sixth-seeded Lions in the quarterfinal round of the ASUN Championship last season. Lipscomb returns redshirt junior Jacob Ognacevic, who was listed by Blue Ribbon as the Preseason Player of the Year.
 
Behind Lipscomb and UNA is last season's regular season champion, Eastern Kentucky, in third, followed by Austin Peay, FGCU, North Florida, Jacksonville and Bellarmine in the top eight. Despite winning the ASUN Championship last season, Stetson was picked ninth, followed by Queens, new member West Georgia, and Central Arkansas.
 
In the official ASUN preseason polls, the Lions have never been selected higher than sixth since joining the league in 2018. The ASUN preseason polls for 2024-25 will come out in October.
 
ASUN CONFERENCE
BLUE RIBBON FORECAST
1.      Lipscomb
2.      North Alabama
3.      Eastern Kentucky
4.      Austin Peay
5.      FGCU
6.      North Florida
7.      Jacksonville
8.      Bellarmine
9.      Stetson
10.    Queens
11.    West Georgia
12.    Central Arkansas
 
ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
F-Jacob Ognacevic, R-JR, Lipscomb
F-Sai Witt, GR, Austin Peay
G-Devontae Blanton, GR, Eastern Kentucky
G-Jacari Lane, JR, North Alabama
G-Robert McCray V, R-JR, Jacksonville
G-Will Pruitt, SR, Lipscomb
 
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jacob Ognacevic, R-JR, Lipscomb
 
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Daniel Ortiz, SR, North Alabama
 
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.