Aug. 28, 2008
LAS VEGAS - The UNLV men's golf team is ranked 22nd in the nation in the Golf World/Nike Golf Division I Preseason Coaches' Poll, which was released this week.
UCLA, the defending NCAA champion, is the top-ranked team in the poll after receiving 11 of 26 first-place votes. Oklahoma State is ranked second in the poll, earning four first-place votes. Georgia (six first-place votes) is third, USC (five first-place votes) is fourth and Stanford rounds out the top five. Clemson is sixth, followed by Florida, Alabama, Texas A&M and Georgia Tech.
Rickie Fowler, a sophomore from Oklahoma State and first-team All-American, is No. 1 on Golf World's list of the "Top 50 Male Players to Watch." UNLV senior Seung-su Han was included in the top 50 and was the Rebels' lone representative on that list.
Last year Han became the first collegiate golfer to ever advance to the PGA Tour's Qualifying Tournament finals. He decided not to turn professional and remained a student-athlete at UNLV. Competing for the Rebels as a junior last season, Han led the Mountain West Conference in scoring average (71.33). He played in 10 tournaments last year for the Rebels and turned in under par scores in 14 of 30 rounds played. He also finished in the top 10 in six events, including two top-five finishes.
UNLV, which enters its 22nd season under head coach Dwaine Knight, will open the 2008-09 campaign at the Gene Miranda Invitational in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Sept. 6. The squad returns six letterwinners from last season.
2008-09 GOLF WORLD/NIKE GOLF COACHES' PRESEASON POLL
RANK TEAM POINTS 2008 NCAA FINISH1. UCLA (11) 618 Won2. Oklahoma St. (4) 592 4th3. Georgia (6) 585 T-84. Southern Cal. (5) 564 3rd5. Stanford 498 2nd6. Clemson 481 5th7. Florida 468 11th8. Alabama 439 13th9. Texas A&M 343 12th10. Georgia Tech 340 DNP11. Florida St. 335 DNP12. Arizona St. 334 MC13. Charlotte 258 T-814. Duke 231 DNP15. Tennessee 217 DNP16. Auburn 201 MC17. Kent St. 173 6th18. East Tennessee St. 168 MC19. South Carolina 160 DNP20. Wake Forest 121 MC Indiana 121 MC22. UNLV 117 DNP23. San Diego St. 101 14th24. Texas 95 MC25. North Carolina 91 DNP
Others receiving votes: Chattanooga, 90; Louisville, 86; Illinois, 75; Washington, 74; Middle Tennessee St., 50; Texas Tech, 41; Michigan St., 39; UAB, 39; Arizona, 34; UCF, 32; LSU, 27; Arkansas, 22; N.C. St., 21; Pepperdine, 21; Mississippi, 20; Penn St., 15; UC Irvine, 15; TCU, 12; Augusta St., 11; California, 11; Purdue, 11; Oregon, 10; Northwestern, 8; Coastal Carolina, 6; Virginia Tech, 5; Colorado St., 3; Marquette, 3; SMU, 2; St. John's, 2; Virginia, 2; Maryland, 1; Memphis, 1; Mississippi St., 1; New Mexico, 1; Notre Dame, 1; Wichita St., 1.
