Briar Cliff totaled 81 points and is the preseason coaches’ selections to win the 2016-2017 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Men’s Basketball Championship.
The Chargers tallied nine first place votes. Midland garnered the other first place vote and was picked to finish second with 72 points.
Briar Cliff won both the regular season and tournament championships last year in the GPAC. Rounding out the top five in the poll were Dakota Wesleyan with 57 points, Dordt with 53 points, and Morningside with 44 points. Last season Dakota Wesleyan also earned a berth to the NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship Tournament.
Points were awarded on a 9-1 basis and coaches’ could not vote for their own team.
Here is the complete 2016-17 GPAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll:
| Place | School | Points | First Place Votes |
| 1. | Briar Cliff | 81 | 9 |
| 2. | Midland | 72 | 1 |
| 3. | Dakota Wesleyan | 57 | |
| 4. | Dordt | 53 | |
| 5. | Morningside | 48 | |
| 6. | Northwestern | 44 | |
| 7. | Hastings | 37 | |
| 8. | Concordia | 32 | |
| 9. | Doane | 17 | |
| 10. | Mount Marty | 9 |
