Oct 10, 2019

Griffons are 12th, 9th in preseason MIAA men's basketball polls

Posted Oct 10, 2019 2:35 AM


KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The MIAA Basketball Media Day took place Wednesday at the College Basketball Experience in Kansas City and the MIAA released its annual preseason coaches and media polls. The Griffon men's basketball team is picked to finished 12th by the league's coaches and they are no. 9 in the media poll.


Missouri Western appeared right where they finished last season in the coaches poll while the media picked MWSU three spots better than last year's finish. The Griffons went 14-14 under first-year head coach Sundance Wicks and 6-13 in the MIAA. Wicks returns two starters and seven letter winners from last season. 2019 honorable mention All-MIAA point guard Tyrell Carroll will be the team's leading returner in points (14.3, rebounds (3.5) and assists (3.5). The Griffons begin the 2019-20 season in the Small College Basketball National Hall of Fame Classic, Nov. 1st and 2nd at St. Joseph's Civic Arena.


The coaches picked Northwest Missouri to repeat as MIAA champs, but had 2019 third place finisher Missouri Southern ahead of last year's runner-up, Washburn, for second. Otherwise the top four from last season to this year's preseason poll remained the same. Northeastern State was fifth in the coaches poll after finishing ninth a season ago and Central Missouri was sixth after missing the cut for the MIAA Championships with an 11th place finish last year.


The media went the same way on the top four for the men's poll, but after that there were some considerable changes. In the fifth spot on the media's poll was Pittsburg State, followed by Lincoln and Central Missouri. Northeastern State, which was fifth in the coaches poll, appeared 12th in the media poll. Emporia State was eighth in the media poll, but 10th in the coaches. Missouri Western was ninth in the media, but 12th in the coaches. Nebraska Kearney was picked 14th in both polls.


Men's Coaches Poll

1. Northwest Missouri (13) - 169 points

2. Missouri Southern (1) - 157 points

3. Washburn - 131 points

4. Fort Hays State - 124 points

5. Northeastern State - 99 points

6. Central Missouri - 96 points

7. Lincoln - 93 points

8. Pittsburg State - 92 points

9. Rogers State - 68 points

10. Emporia State - 66 points

11. Newman - 61 points

12. Missouri Western - 58 points

13. Central Oklahoma - 44 points

14. Nebraska Kearney - 16 points


Men's Media Poll

1. Northwest Missouri (19) - 279 points

2. Missouri Southern (1) - 259 points

3. Washburn - 238 points

4. Fort Hays State - 198 points

5. Pittsburg State - 183 points

6. Lincoln - 156 points

7. Central Missouri - 140 points

8. Emporia State - 123 points

9. Missouri Western - 120 points

10. Newman - 103 points

11. Rogers State - 102 points

12. Northeastern State - 88 points

13. Nebraska Kearney - 64 points

14. Central Oklahoma- 46 points


--- MWSU Athletics ---