LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- Slippery Rock University is picked to finish fourth in this year's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division men's basketball race according to a vote of the division's head coaches announced Thursday as part of the conference's basketball media day.

Indiana received five of the eight first-place votes in the poll to earn the "team to beat" label, while California, Gannon and Mercyhurst each received one No. 1 vote.

The predicted order of finish was:
1. Indiana
2. California
3. Gannon
4. Slippery Rock
5. Mercyhurst
6. Edinboro
7. Clarion
8. Lock Haven

Rock junior forward Maron Brown was one of six players named to the All-PSAC-West preseason team. He was joined on the list by Indiana's Julian Sanders, Darryl Webb and Thomas Young, Mercyhurst's Jordan Armstrong and California's Kelsey Williams.

Brown is one of three starters returning for second-year head coach Kevin Reynolds from a 2008-09 squad that earned PSAC-West runner-up and conference semifinalist honors and finished with a 21-8 overall record.

A 6-foot-5, 220-pound native of Salisbury, Md. and graduate of Wicomico High School, Brown averaged 12.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per game in his first season with the Green and White. He ranked third in the conference in rebounding and 27th in scoring.

Joining him as returning starters are senior guards Maurice Douglas and Michael Evans Jr., who averaged 12.0 and 12.6 points per game, respectively, a year ago.

Reynolds has a total of seven players returning from last year's squad and has added six newcomers, four of which have NCAA Division I playing experience.

The Rock will travel to Division I St. Francis (Pa.) for a scrimmage Friday, then visit Big East Conference power Pittsburgh for a 4 p.m. exhibition game Sunday at the Petersen Events Center.

Five days later, the Green and White invade Happy Valley to take on Big Ten Conference power Penn State, the reigning National Invitation Tournament champion, for a 6 p.m. exhibition game.

The official opening game of the 2009-10 Rock season will be Sunday, Nov. 15, against Ohio University Eastern. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. in Morrow Field House.

Click here to view the complete 2009-10 Rock men's basketball schedule.