Oct. 19—SIOUX CITY, Iowa. — Both Dakota Wesleyan University basketball teams were selected for a mid-pack finish in the Great Plains Athletic Conference preseason coaches poll, which was announced on Thursday.
In the men’s rankings, Morningside was a narrow preseason favorite over Northwestern by a single point, with both teams getting five first-place votes. Dordt, which won the GPAC tournament in 2023, was picked third, with last season’s regular-season national tournament bid winner Jamestown picked fourth and Concordia in fifth. The Jimmies and Mustangs tied for the conference title in the regular season at 15-5.
DWU finished 13-16 overall and 9-11 in the conference, good for sixth place last season. Coach Matt Wilber enters his 11th season after moving over the 200 career-win mark last season.
The college basketball season begins in Mitchell at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29, when the Tiger men host Dakota State at the Corn Palace.
In the women’s preseason poll, Dordt was the quasi-unanimous selection as the favorite with 11 of the 12 first place votes after a 30-4 season. (Coaches can’t vote for their own team.) The Defenders won both the GPAC regular season and tournament titles. The preseason poll included Briar Cliff in second, Concordia third, Jamestown in fourth and Northwestern in fifth, followed by DWU.
The Tigers went 12-5 over January and February and qualified for the NAIA national tournament for the second year in a row and reached the second round where they took a narrow loss on the road to No. 1-ranked Central Methodist, 57-53, in Fayette, Missouri. Off a 23-9 record last season, coach Jason Christensen’s team returns three starters from the national tournament in guards Isabel Inhen, Rylee Rosenquist and Morgan Edelman.
The DWU women’s basketball season begins at noon Sunday, Oct. 29, when the Tigers play an exhibition game at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. The regular-season opener is at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5, when the Tigers host Valley City State at the Corn Palace.
Men: 1. Morningside 93 (5), 2. Northwestern 92 (5), 3. Dordt 85 (1), 4. Jamestown 72, 5. Concordia 68, 6. Dakota Wesleyan 47, 7. Doane 46, 8. Briar Cliff 33, 9. Hastings 30, 10. Mount Marty 22, 11. Midland 17
Women: 1. Dordt 121 (11), 2. Briar Cliff 105, 3. Concordia 99 (1), 4. Jamestown 84, 5. Northwestern 81, 6. Dakota Wesleyan 69, 7. Morningside 68, 8. Doane 61, 9. Hastings 40, 10. Mount Marty 30, 11. Midland 19, 12. College of Saint Mary 15
