The American Soutwest Conference today announced the 2010 men’s basketball pre-season poll and Howard Payne University was picked to finished sixth in the ASC West Division after a vote of each division’s head coaches, sports information directors and media members. Howard Payne University’s Brandon Irwin earned 2010-11 preseason player of the year honors.

The Howard Payne Yellow Jackets finished last season with a 6-19 overall record and was 6-15 in ASC play. HPU received 78 points in the poll placing them sixth out of the eight west division teams. The Jackets return 11 players from last season’s team.

Brandon Irwin, a 6-2 junior guard, averaged 18.5 points and 1.6 steals per game last season. He also ranked in the league’s top 10 in free throw percentage (80.6), 3-point percentage (42.1) and minutes played per game (33.7). Irwin was a member of the West Division’s first team last season.

Howard Payne will open up the 2010-2011 season at Rhodes College in Memphis, TN on November 15th before playing Rust College the next day in Holly Springs, MS.