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Ogden • Weber State has an abundance of returning starting experience for the 2015-16 men's basketball campaign. That was reason enough for Big Sky coaches to put the Wildcats at the top of their preseason poll, released on Thursday.

But Randy Rahe had a couple of points to make during Weber State's media day:

• Rankings are conjecture at best and something to which the 'Cats, which finished 13-17, won't pay much attention.

• And, according to the WSU coach, no one is guaranteed a starting position when Weber tips against Utah State on November 13 — and that includes the guys with all that time as starters last year.

"We don't have any starters right now, it's all starting over," Rahe said. "This is a new team and we have a lot more depth, especially at the guard line, than we've had in a long time. So there's nothing that will be handed out. Everybody's going to have to earn it."

Still, Rahe likened the beginning of the season to Christmas. He has reason to be excited.

Weber State senior Joel Bolomboy, the conference's leading rebounder at 10.2 boards a contest, is back. So is Jeremy Senglin, the Wildcats' leading scorer from a year ago with a 16.4 per game average.

Richaud Gittens and Kyndahl Hill, both juniors, also started all 30 games in 2014-15.

Best of all for future prospects, Bolomboy is the only senior on Weber's roster.

"A lot of people are going to be shocked. I think we'll be way better than last year," Bolomboy said. "The people that came in and the overall connection we have as a team, it's just better."

Added Senglin: "Shooting-wise, we can go inside-out now and not have to force stuff around. Our bigs now have more options to pass out to."

As for those preseason rankings, both Weber State and Montana got six first-place votes each in the Big Sky coaches poll with the Wildcats edging the Grizzlies in points. The media poll reversed the order with Montana in the top spot.

"That's all forecasting," Rahe said. "I think what's most fresh in these guys' minds is what happened last year — and that's unacceptable." —

Big Sky coaches poll

First-place votes in parenthesis

1. Weber State (8) 117

2. Eastern Wash. (1) 100

3. Northern Ariz. (2) 99

4. Sacramento St. (1) 90

5. Portland State 80

6. Northern Colo. 73

7. Idaho 65

8. Montana 56

9. North Dakota 38

10. Idaho State 35

11. Montana State 24

12. Southern Utah 15