Augustana was the unanimous choice in the 2015-16 NSIC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ overall and south division polls.
The defending NSIC Overall Co-Champions, South Division and NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament Champions received 225 points and all 15 first place votes (coaches cannot vote for own team).
Defending NSIC Overall Co-Champion and North Division Champion, MSU Moorhead, was second in the poll with 210 points and the other first place vote. The Dragons were also the unanimous pick in the north division poll. Minnesota State was third in the poll with 198 points. Winona State was fourth with 165 points while Northern State rounded out the top five with 161 points.
NSIC coaches rank each team from 1 to 15 with a first place vote receiving 15 points, second place 14, third place 13, etc. Coaches do not rank their own team or vote for their own players.
| Overall | Points | North Division | Pts |
| 1. Augustana (15) | 225 | 1. MSU Moorhead (7) | 49 |
| 2. MSU Moorhead (1) | 210 | 2. Northern State (1) | 43 |
| 3. Minnesota State | 198 | 3. St. Cloud State | 34 |
| 4. Winona State | 165 | 4. Minnesota Duluth | 33 |
| 5. Northern State | 161 | 5. Minot State | 22 |
| 6. St. Cloud State | 150 | 6. University of Mary | 17 |
| 7. Upper Iowa | 128 | 7. Bemidji State | 15 |
| 8. Southwest Minnesota State | 127 | 8. Minnesota Crookston | 11 |
| 9. Concordia-St. Paul | 118 | South Division | Pts |
| 10. Minnesota Duluth | 110 | 1. Augustana (7) | 49 |
| 11. Minot State | 78 | 2. Minnesota State (1) | 43 |
| 12. Sioux Falls | 72 | 3. Winona State | 36 |
| 13. Bemidji State | 53 | 4. Southwest Minnesota State | 25 |
| 14. University of Mary | 48 | 5. Concordia-St. Paul | 24 |
| 15. Wayne State | 45 | Upper Iowa | 24 |
| 16. Minnesota Crookston | 32 | 7. Sioux Falls | 14 |
| first place votes in ( ) | 8. Wayne State | 9 |