2011 UMAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. 49 Points - Northwestern College (7 First Place Votes)
2. 41 Points - Bethany Lutheran College (1)
3. 36 Points - University of Minnesota Morris
4. 34 Points - College of St. Scholastica
5. 21 Points - Martin Luther College
6. 19 Points - Crown College
7. 14 Points - Presentation College
8. 10 Points - Northland College
ST. PAUL -- After sweeping the 2010-11 UMAC regular season and tournament championships, Northwestern College was the unanimous choice to win the league again in 2011-12, according to a preseason poll of the conference coaches.
1. Northwestern College Eagles
2010-11 Overall Record: 21-7
2010-11 UMAC Record: 13-1
2010-11 UMAC Finish: 1st
Starters Returning: 3
Starters Lost: 2
Winners of nine UMAC championships in the last 11 years, Northwestern College reached new heights in 2010-11 after earning the conference’s automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament and nearly beating eventual national-champion University of St. Thomas in their regional playoff game. Head coach Tim Grosz’s 2011-12 squad will have a bit of a new look to it, but the Eagles’ core will remain the same. Starters Wade Chitwood and Tom Gisler return to the court for their junior seasons. Chitwood, a second-team all-conference selection in 2011, led Northwestern with 13.6 points per game. Gisler, also a second-team all-conference honoree, was the nation’s best three point shooter last year (NCAA Division III), draining an even 50 percent of his shots from downtown while averaging 11.5 points and 4.6 rebounds. Seniors Gabe Jefferson and Ethan Benton will lead Northwestern in the post, where they combined for over 10 points and 10 rebounds per game in last year’s campaign.
2. Bethany Lutheran College Vikings
2010-11 Overall Record: 11-15
2010-11 UMAC Record: 8-6
2010-11 UMAC Finish: 3rd
Starters Returning: 5
Starters Lost: 2
Bethany Lutheran College returns to the court under a new head coach, David Balza, who joins the team with over 20 years of NCAA Division I and II coaching experience. Although the Vikings only have one senior on their roster, they have a wealth of experience with players like UMAC First Team All-Conference and All-Defensive Team member Derek Peterson. In his sophomore season, Peterson averaged 11.4 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game. In addition, Peterson was the team leader in assist with 76. Also returning for his junior season is all-conference honorable mention recipient Gavin Kroehler, who averaged 11.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in 2010-11. Alex Weldon will continue to be a difference maker on the court after leading the team in scoring with 13.8 points per game and in steals with 35. Garrett Benson and Patrick Garvin will also return to the roster after averaging 9.9 and 4.0 points per game respectively.
3. University of Minnesota Morris Cougars
2010-11 Overall Record: 15-12
2010-11 UMAC Record: 10-4
2010-11 UMAC Finish: 2nd
Starters Returning: 2
Starters Lost: 3
Coming off back-to-back berths in the UMAC Championship game, the Cougars will be looking to go one step further in 2011-12 and advance to their first NCAA Tournament. The University of Minnesota Morris must do so, however, without a pair of graduated seniors who were staples on the team for the previous four seasons. All-UMAC players Eric Dalbey and Dan Fragodt are gone, and with them leaves nearly 20 points and eight rebounds a night. Leading the way for the returners, though, will be All-UMAC Second Team player Derek Schmidt, who returns after leading the team in rebounding at 5.7 a game, while also adding 10.6 points per game last year. With a constant potential for a big night, Schmidt was a UMAC Player of the Week honoree last February after averaging 17.0 points and 7.7 rebounds through the week’s three games. Also returning is veteran Kyle Bruns who started 18 games, as well as Brendon Foss and Tom Barrett for their second season after also seeing time in the starting line-up.
4. College of St. Scholastica Saints
2010-11 Overall Record: 9-16
2010-11 UMAC Record: 6-8
2010-11 UMAC Finish: 6th
Starters Returning: 2
Starters Lost: 3
After a disappointing 2010-11 season, College of St. Scholastica Head Coach David Staniger went out to recruit more athleticism. Coach Staniger is pleased with what he has brought in with at least six newcomers, who will look to make an instant impact this season. On top of the recruits, senior guard Chris Hamers returns to the court after not playing during the 2010-11 season. Two seasons ago, Hamers was second on the team in scoring, averaging 12 points per game. Returning for the Saints from last year’s team is forward Brett Tester and guard Jonah Dahlman, along with forwards Pat Franko and Matt Feuling. Tester was a first team All-UMAC selection last season after being named freshman of the year in 2009-10. With the talented newcomers, paired with the solid returners, the Saints will look to capture the conference crown for the sixth time in program history and capture the tournament title for the fifth time since 2004.
5. Martin Luther College Knights
2010-11 Overall Record: 8-17
2010-11 UMAC Record: 7-7
2010-11 UMAC Finish: 4th
Starters Returning: 3
Starters Lost: 2
Entering the 2011-12 season, the Martin Luther College men’s basketball program must replace two all-conference caliber guards from a season ago. Hopefully, an experienced frontcourt and some talented youngsters in the backcourt can have the Knights competing late in the conference tournament once again. Galen Holzhueter returns on the wing after his 14.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game in conference play won him UMAC Freshman of the Year honors in 2010-11. Holzhueter looks to be the primary scoring option this season for Martin Luther as they will be breaking in a new backcourt that could be one of the better shooting groups the Knights have featured in several years. Justin Danell returns for his third season as the starting center after averaging 6.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. Justin’s brother, Joshl, will see time next to him, as well as behind him, after averaging 4.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, and also leading the team in blocked shots with 18.
6. Crown College Storm
2010-11 Overall Record: 5-20
2010-11 UMAC Record: 5-9
2010-11 UMAC Finish: 7th
Starters Returning: 3
Starters Lost: 2
Crown College will have a new look to its roster this season, having welcomed eight new players in 2010-11. Leading the new look team will be David Glover and Taylor Jones, as well as point guard Truman Shetler. Glover and Jones were both named to the UMAC Honorable-Mention team last season after shooting over 40 percent from behind the arc during conference play. Glover was Crown’s leading rebounder (4.8 per game) and Jones led the UMAC in steals. Shetler had 75 assists last year to go with 6.8 points per game. Leading the group of newcomers looking to make an impact will be Brian Smith, Anthijuan Beeks Jr., and Brock Rose. Rose played two seasons at Maranatha Baptist Bible College and will bring proven Division III experience to the Crown backcourt. Beeks is a big, physical guard who can get to the basket and defend anywhere on the perimeter. Smith, standing 6’11”, is returning to the court after a lengthy layoff and will be a unique player in the UMAC landscape.
7. Presentation College Saints
2010-11 Overall Record: 9-16
2010-11 UMAC Record: 6-8
2010-11 UMAC Finish: 5th
Starters Returning: 0
Starters Lost: 5
Presentation College enters the 2010-11 season under second-year head coach Jeremy Reigle, who is looking to improve from the Saints’ 6-8 UMAC record a year ago. That task won’t be easy, as Reigle will start the upcoming campaign without his five starters from a year ago. With just one returner from last year, Reigle will look to his 14 newcomers to make a significant impact for Presentation. The team will look to Darrell Farr, a junior transfer from Phoenix College to play an important role the at power forward position. Farr averaged 5.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per game last season at Phoenix. Reigle expects each game to be a learning experience that will lead to significant improvement for the Saints.
8. Northland College LumberJacks
2010-11 Overall Record: 3-22
2010-11 UMAC Record: 1-13
2010-11 UMAC Finish: 8th
Starters Returning: 3
Starters Lost: 3
As fast as the 2010- 2011 season started for Northland College, it ended just as quickly with the loss of leading scorer Michael Mackey just nine games into the year. Not only did the Jacks lose Mackey, but also two other players to season-ending injuries in early January. With lack of depth and all-around offensive balance, the Northland had just one win during the second half of the season. This year’s squad will be anchored by the lone senior in the return of Mackey, who led the Jacks through those nine games last season with 14.4 points per game. Northland also has two more returning starters in Adrian Flores and Eric Krall. Flores led the team in field goal percentage (50 percent) and was the second leading scorer with 11 points per game to go with 5.7 rebounds per game. Krall, the 6’6” versatile forward, scored 8.6 points per game while leading the team in three point field goal percentage. The Jacks also return sophomore Sean Augustyn and Justin Hughes, who suffered a season ending injury after appearing in seven games.
All eight UMAC teams will play a full slate of nonconference games before league contests kick off on January 10. At the conclusion of the 14-game conference schedule, the top four teams will compete in the conference tournament, with the winner earning the UMAC's automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament.