Vikings edge Eagles in 2019-20 UMAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll

Vikings edge Eagles in 2019-20 UMAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll

Bookmark and Share

ST. PAUL, Minn.---Over the last two seasons, the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC)  has seen exciting finishes in men's basketball among the top programs and big wins over some of the best teams in the country in the NCAA tournament. The 2019-20 should bring a lot of the same excitement with the conference coaches predicting another tight race for the regular season title with the Preseason Coaches' Poll announced Wednesday. 

For the second-consecutive year, Bethany Lutheran College was tabbed as the favorite with 62 points and six first-place votes, while last year's regular and postseason champion University of Northwestern was picked as the runner-up with 59 points and three first-place nods. 

| Poll | Team Previews | 2019-20 Schedule |

Last season, Northwestern went 15-1 after losing early in the year to Crown College and then went on to capture the program's fifth regular season title in the last seven years before taking the postseason championship to make it's eighth NCAA appearance in nine seasons. The Vikings ended 13-3 in conference play with two losses coming at the hands of the Eagles. They also fell in the conference semifinals to the College of St. Scholastica for the second time in three years. 

Despite a second-place finish in 2018-19, the Vikings are expected to return to the top of the conference which last came in 2017-18 when they won both the regular and postseason titles before going on to earn an upset win over Saint John's University in the opening round of the NCAA tournament – a feat Northwestern also achieved this past March. 

The Vikings reload with some of the best talent in the league as Rookie of the Year Cire Mayfield is back following his outstanding debut season where he averaged 20.0 points per game (ppg) in conference contests and led the UMAC in assists (5.6 per game). All-UMAC Second Team forward Trenton Krueger is back for his final season after putting up 13.3 ppg and 7.4 rebounds per game (rpg). All-Defensive Team selection Jared Milinkovich will also add depth at the guard position for the Vikings. 

While the Vikings were picked first, the reigning champion Eagles should never be counted out as they head into the 20th season under head coach Tim Grosz. His consistent Eagles will be a contender again this winter with the return of All-UMAC First Team senior guard Tanner Youngberg who averaged a double-double in UMAC games (13.2 ppg, 10.3 rpg) while adding 3.1 assists per game (apg). Sophomore Michael Moore will also play a significant role after adding 11.6 ppg and 4.3 apg during his rookie campaign. 

St. Scholastica has consistently finished in the top three over the last four seasons and was picked to do so again this year with 49 points in the poll heading into David Staniger's 20th season at the helm. The Saints will be without Brandon Newman but bring back a lot of experience with Second Team guard Collin Anderson returning after adding 15.8 ppg and 42 percent from beyond the arc. Jarod Wilken and Quinn Fischer should also play significant roles with a strong incoming class of players. 

Crown College was tabbed fourth in the poll with 44 points after finishing fourth again last year, while the University of Wisconsin-Superior is expected to make a big jump slated fifth with 33 points. The Storm will need other players to step up after losing several key players to graduation, but they also get back 2018-19 Player of the Year Tim Wendel for his final season. Wendel led the conference in scoring (23.9 ppg), rebounding (10.4 rpg), 3-point field goal shooting (.451) and blocks (1.3 per game). The Yellowjackets should be improved with two key players returning from injury as well as senior guard Mac Reykdal who was an Honorable Mention selection last year with 18.2 ppg and 2.4 apg, as well as leading the UMAC in steals per game (spg) with 1.9. 

The University of Minnesota Morris and Northland College battled it out on the final day of the regular season last year for the final postseason berth with the Cougars coming out on top. This year, the coaches predict both to finish outside the playoffs as the programs tied for sixth with 22 points in the poll. The Cougars graduated several key players but their top returner includes junior guard James Pendleton who averaged 11.2 ppg and 3.6 ppg. The LumberJacks also lost their top three scorers but have experience in Benny Larry who averaged 8.9 ppg and 1.3 apg against UMAC competition. 

The poll wraps with North Central University slated eighth with 20 points and Martin Luther College ninth with 13 points. The Rams assume new leadership under Dan DeWitt who will rely on Micah Filer who was an Honorable Mention pick after finishing second in UMAC games for scoring (23.4 ppg) as a rookie. The Knights have senior Ian Paulsen back following his Honorable Mention junior season. 

Most UMAC squads open up the 2019-20 season with non-conference action next weekend beginning Friday, Nov. 8. Conference play then begins Wednesday, Dec. 4 and runs through Dec. 14 before the holiday break. Games begin again Wednesday, Jan. 8. The season concludes Saturday, Feb. 22 with the conference tournament set for the week of Monday, Feb. 24. 
 

2019-20 UMAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Bethany Lutheran - 62 points (6 First Place Votes)
2. Northwestern - 59 points (3 First Place Vote)
3. St. Scholastica - 49 points 
4. Crown - 44 points
5. Wisconsin-Superior - 33 points
T6. Minnesota Morris - 22 points
T6. Northland - 22 points
8. North Central - 20 points
9. Martin Luther - 13 points
 

Team Previews

| BLC | CC | CSS | MLC | NC | NCU | UMM | UNW | UWS |

Bethany Lutheran College
Matt Fletcher | 4th Season |
 
2018-19 Season
13-3 UMAC, 18-8 Overall | 2nd |
Postseason: Lost to St. Scholastica in semifinal, 95-88
 
Top Returners
  • Trenton Krueger, Sr, F | UMAC Defensive Team | UMAC Second-team | 13.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 22 blocks|
  • Cire Mayfield, So, G | UMAC Newcomer of the Year | UMAC First-team | 20.2 PPG, .803 FT %, 138 assists |
  • Jared Milinkovich, Jr, G | UMAC Defensive Team | 9.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 27 blocks |
 
Need to Know
BLC set season records in FG percentage (.486) and scoring average (86.3 PPG) last season
 

The College of St. Scholastica
David Staniger | 20th Season |
 
2018-19 Season
11-5 UMAC, 16-11 | 3rd |
Postseason: W 95-88 at Bethany Lutheran in UMAC Semifinals; L 92-89 (OT) at Northwestern in the UMAC Championship
 
Top Returners
  • Collin Anderson, Sr., G | 2018-19 Second Team All-UMAC, 2017-18 Honorable Mention All-UMAC | 15.8 points per game, 87, 3-point FGs (.414) , .904 free throw percentage |
  • Jarod Wilken, Jr., F | 11.3 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game, 26 blocks |
  • Quinn Fischer, So., G | 12.7 points per game, 150 rebounds, 74 made free throws |
 
Need to Know
CSS has finished no worse than third in the UMAC and has made three UMAC Tournament Championship games the last four seasons.
 

Crown College
Luke Herbert | 10th Season |?

2018-19 Season
10-6 UMAC, 17-10 | 4th |
Postseason: Lost to UNW in UMAC Semifinals
 
Top Returners
  • Tim Wendel, Sr., F | UMAC Player of the Year, All-Defensive Team, 3x All-Conference | D3 hoops All-region 3rd team, NABC West District 1st Team | 23.9 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 45.1 3pt%, 86.1 FT% - All led the UMAC |
  • Gunnar Ledin, Sr., F | 14.8 ppg|
  • Chris Moore, Jr., F | 10.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 48.9 FG% |
 
Need to Know
Wendel is just 50 points shy of Austin VanDerHeyden’s All-Time scoring mark at Crown (1,516) entering the season.
 

Martin Luther College
Greg Holzhueter | 4th Season |
 
2018-19 Season
4-12 UMAC, 7-18 | T-7th |
 
Top Returners
  • Ian Paulsen, Sr., F | 2018-19 HM All-UMAC | 11.2 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.3 BPG |
  • Austin DeNoyer, Sr., G | 9.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.3 APG |
  • Ethan Eisenmann, Sr., F | 25 starts, 5.4 PPG, .364 3FG% |
 
Need to Know
Ian Paulsen has led MLC in points, assists, rebounds, blocks and steals per game each of the last two seasons, and is the only player in program history with at least 100 career blocks and 100 career steals.
 

North Central University
Dan DeWitt | 1st Season |
 
2018-19 Season
1-15 UMAC, 6-19 | 9th |
 
Top Returners
Micah Filer, So., G | Honorable Mention 18-19 | 23.4 PPG UMAC 18-19 |
  

Northland College
Scott Sorenson | 8th Season |
 
2018-19 Season
7-9 UMAC, 9-16 | T-5th |
Postseason: Did not qualify for UMAC playoffs due to tiebreaker
 
Top Returners
  • Benny Larry Jr., Sr., W/G | 11.2 PPG, Started 25 of 25 games, 1.4 steals per game |
  • Hunter Moe, So., W/F | Started 20 of 25 games as a first-year, 5.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG |
  • Aaron Houle, Sr., G | Returning from injury
 
Need to Know
Incoming class features 14 new guys, including 10 first-years and seven who scored at least 1,000 points in high school. Two scored over 2,000 and two are their high school’s all-time leading scorer on the boy’s side.
 

University of Minnesota Morris
Paul Grove | 18th Season |
 
2018-19 Season
7-9 UMAC, 10-16 | T-5th |
Postseason: UMAC Tournament Quarterfinals
 
Top Returners
  • James Pendleton, Jr., G | Averaged 10.1 points per game, started all 26 games for the Cougars, shot 34.2 percent from the 3-point line
  • Trent Jerome, Sr., G | Played in 25 games, shot 34.9% from the 3-point line, averaged 5.0 points per game
  • Nick Peterson, Sr., F |Played in all 26 games, averaged 5.7 points per game, shot 31.9% from the 3-point line
  • Kenneth Riley, So., F, | 2018-19 Academic All-Conference | Played in all 26 games, averaged 4.1 points per game, recorded 36 assists
 

University of Northwestern
Tim Grosz | 20th Season |
 
2018-19 Season
15-1 UMAC, 22-7 | 1st |
Postseason: Won the UMAC tournament, beating Crown and St. Scholastica. Defeated #8 St. John’s in the opening round of the NCAA DIII Tournament, advancing to the round of 32. Fell to eventual National Champion #4 UW-Oshkosh in the second round.
 
Top Returners
  • Tanner Youngberg, Sr., G | 2018-19 UMAC All-Conference First Team; 2018-19 UMAC All-Defensive Team; 2017-18 UMAC All-Conference Second Team; three-time UMAC Player of the Week | 2018-19 NCCAA North Central All-Region Team | 14.1 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 2.8 APG |
  • Brady Peterson, Sr., G | 9.0 PPG, 45.8 3PT%, 4.1 RPG |2019 UMAC Conference Tournament MVP
  • Michael Moore, So., G | 11.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 4.3 APG |
 
Need to Know
2017 graduate and former UNW men’s basketball standout, Cody Sprenger, enters his first year as an assistant coach for the Eagles. Head Coach Tim Grosz, the winningest coach in UNW history (366 wins) enters his 20th season with the Eagles.
 

University of Wisconsin-Superior
Greg Polkowski | 3rd season |
 
2018-19 Season
4-12 UMAC, 6-19 | T-7th |
 
Top Returners
  • Mac Reykdal, Sr., G | Honorable Mention All-Conference in 2018-19 | 18.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.4 apg
  • Carter Brown, So., G | 6.3ppg, 2.2rpg, 43.9 3pt%
  • Andrew McGill, Sr., C | 5.6ppg, 
 
Need to Know
UW-Superior returns Vid Milenkovic (out all of 2018-19 due to injury) and Colton Williams, who missed all but two games a year ago. Milenkovic was honorable-mention all-UMAC in 2017-18, averaging 15.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Williams averaged 12.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game in 2017-18.