NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball has been picked to finish second in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference in 2019-20, according to a poll of the league's head coaches.
     The GCAC announced the results Friday. The Gold Nuggets received one first-place vote and 42 points and tied for second with Edward Waters.
     Talladega is the preseason favorite with four first-place votes and 51 points. The other two first-place votes went to Dillard, which is fourth with 38 points.
     XULA — 23-8 last season, the GCAC regular-season champion at 13-1 and an NAIA Division I National Championship tournament qualifier — will begin its 42nd season of the Title IX era at 7 p.m. EDT next Friday against UM Dearborn in the Lawrence Tech Blue Devil Classic in Southfield, Mich., a Detroit suburb. The home opener will tip off at 6 p.m. Oct. 29 against William Carey at the Convocation Center.

GCAC Women's Basketball 2019-20 Coaches Poll
First-place votes in parentheses
Place	Team	Points
1.	Talladega (4)	51
2. (tie)	XULA (1)	42
2. (tie)	Edward Waters	42
4.	Dillard (2)	38
5.	Philander Smith	32
6.	Rust	27
7.	SUNO	18
8.	Tougaloo	13