The Northern Sun Conference basketball races this season were outlined by a pair of polls released Thursday.
Minnesota State University, Mankato was selected by the league coaches as the overall and south division preseason men’s favorite in the NSIC for 2016.
The Mavericks received 11 first place votes and amassed 220 points, 30 points ahead of defending National Champions of Augustana (190) and 37 points ahead of MSU Moorhead and St. Cloud State (183).
Augustana garnered two first place votes while MSUM, WSU and USF each received one first place vote as well. The coaches’ top choice in the north division was MSU Moorhead, which edged SCSU by two points, 46-44, as the two teams split the first place votes. MSU again edged Augie in the south by five points.
Winona State University was selected by the league coaches as the overall and south division preseason women’s favorite in the NSIC for 2016-17.
The Warriors received seven first place votes and amassed 201 points, to narrowly edge Northern State by one point. The Wolves received three first place votes, while Augustana garnered four first place votes and 195 points to rank third.
Wayne State was fourth (183) while MSU Moorhead was fifth. Minnesota State was sixth with 146 points and the other two first place votes. WSU again edged Augie in the south standing by two points while Northern State was the pick in the north with 48 points, six ahead of MSU Moorhead.
