WHEELING – Fairmont State is the team to beat, Mountain East Conference coaches said, in both men’s and women’s basketball play this winter.

The Fighting Falcons were voted atop both the MEC men’s and women’s basketball preseason polls, released Tuesday at MEC hoops media day at WesBanco Arena.

Fairmont State’s men, who won last year’s MEC tournament title, got all 10 first-place votes for which they were eligible, picking up 100 polling points to outdistance No. 2 West Liberty by 12 points.

The Hilltoppers – the league’s defending regular-season champ – got the only other first-place vote, as coaches are not permitted to vote for their own team.

No. 3 Charleston (81), Glenville State (74) and Concord (64) rounded out the top five. West Virginia State checked in at sixth with 58 points

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