GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) - Sophomore Alec Brown (Winona, Minn.) has been named to the Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team, the league office announced live on Tuesday afternoon on the Horizon League Network. The preseason poll and awards are based on voting done by the league's head coaches, media members and athletics communications directors.

Brown, a 7-foot-1 sophomore center, averaged 10.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game as a true freshman. The Minnesota native was one of two freshmen to earn spots on the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team, including 2011-12 Preseason Player of the Year Ray McCallum of Detroit.

"It is well deserved that Alec would be considered among the top-10 players in our league," said head coach Brian Wardle. "I think he is going to have one of those type of years."

After being the only Phoenix player to start all 32 games in 2010-11, Brown has had an impressive offseason highlighted by his inclusion in the Amare Stoudemire Skills Academy alongside 10 of the nation's top big men.

MacCullum was joined on the preseason first team by two other players from Detroit, Eli Holman and Chase Simon, as well as Cleveland State's Trevon Harmon and Milwaukee's Kaylon Williams. The second team consisted of Brown and Milwaukee's Tony Meier, Butler's Andrew Smith, Loyola's Ben Averkamp and Valparaiso's Ryan Broekhoff.  

In the preseason poll, Green Bay was picked to finish sixth in the league standings with 247 points. Two-time defending national runner-up Butler was picked to win the conference in a close vote over Detroit. The Bulldogs received 28 of the 50 first-place votes and 468 points. Detroit, which returns all five starters, had 19 first-place votes and 453 points. Cleveland State (388 points, 2 first-place votes), Milwaukee (356, 1) and Valparaiso (255) rounded out the top five.

"I think being picked sixth shows the turnover on the roster, having six newcomers and not having any guys that have three or four years of experience," Wardle said of the 15th most inexperienced team in the country. "We are loaded with first or second year guys, so that is what is expected. I do not put much stock into that stuff."

Preseason All-Horizon League
First Team
Ray McCallum, Detroit (Preseason Player of the Year)
Trevon Harmon, Cleveland State
Eli Holman, Detroit
Chase Simon, Detroit
Kaylon Williams, Milwaukee

Second Team
Tony Meier, Milwaukee
Alec Brown, Green Bay
Andrew Smith, Butler
Ben Averkamp, Loyola
Ryan Broekhoff, Valparaiso

Horizon League Preseason Poll
1. Butler, 468 points (28 first-place votes)
2. Detroit, 453 (19)
3. Cleveland State, 388 (2)
4. Milwaukee, 356 (1)
5. Valparaiso, 255
6. Green Bay, 247
7. Youngstown State, 195
8. Wright State, 157
9. Loyola, 145
10. UIC, 86

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Green Bay opens its 2011-12 season on Friday, Nov. 11 against University of Mary at 7 p.m. at the Resch Center. The Phoenix will also host one exhibition, welcoming Lawrence to the Kress Events Center on Nov. 4 at 7 p.m.

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