University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Big Sky Releases @unco_mbb Preseason Rankings
10/14/2016 2:57:00 PM | Men's Basketball
OGDEN, Utah – The Big Sky Conference released its 2016-17 men's basketball preseason polls on Friday. The Bears were selected 10th in the media poll and 11th in the coaches poll.
UNC finished ninth in the conference last season with a 7-9 overall record and took an early first round exit at the conference tournament in Reno, Nevada, falling to Portland State.
The Bears return seven letterwinners from last season, but only two starters. In addition, the team added eight new faces to the roster, which includes three transfers and four true freshman.
Northern Colorado begins a new era in 2016-17 under head coach Jeff Linder. Linder is the 19th head coach in program history and comes to Greeley from Boise State where he was the associate head coach.
The 2016 Big Sky Champion Weber State Wildcats were chosen as the preseason favorite to repeat as conference champions by the league's coaches and media.
Weber State finished the 2015-16 season with a 26-9 overall record and a 15-3 mark in conference play. The Wildcats earned the 2016 Big Sky regular-season championship and went on to win the first-ever neutral site conference championship on their way to their 16th NCAA tournament appearance.
WSU lost the Big Sky's all-time leading rebounder and current Utah Jazz forward, Joel Bolomboy to graduation, but most of last year's starting corps will return with first team All-Big Sky honoree, Jeremy Senglin and last season's Top Reserve Kyndahl Hill expected to take on a leadership role this season.
The No. 2 spot in the polls were split with Idaho earning second place in the coaches' poll and Montana second in the media poll.
The Bears will not be eligible for the 2017 Big Sky Conference championship as they have instituted a self-imposed postseason ban.
UNC finished ninth in the conference last season with a 7-9 overall record and took an early first round exit at the conference tournament in Reno, Nevada, falling to Portland State.
The Bears return seven letterwinners from last season, but only two starters. In addition, the team added eight new faces to the roster, which includes three transfers and four true freshman.
Northern Colorado begins a new era in 2016-17 under head coach Jeff Linder. Linder is the 19th head coach in program history and comes to Greeley from Boise State where he was the associate head coach.
The 2016 Big Sky Champion Weber State Wildcats were chosen as the preseason favorite to repeat as conference champions by the league's coaches and media.
Weber State finished the 2015-16 season with a 26-9 overall record and a 15-3 mark in conference play. The Wildcats earned the 2016 Big Sky regular-season championship and went on to win the first-ever neutral site conference championship on their way to their 16th NCAA tournament appearance.
WSU lost the Big Sky's all-time leading rebounder and current Utah Jazz forward, Joel Bolomboy to graduation, but most of last year's starting corps will return with first team All-Big Sky honoree, Jeremy Senglin and last season's Top Reserve Kyndahl Hill expected to take on a leadership role this season.
The No. 2 spot in the polls were split with Idaho earning second place in the coaches' poll and Montana second in the media poll.
The Bears will not be eligible for the 2017 Big Sky Conference championship as they have instituted a self-imposed postseason ban.
| Coaches Poll | Media Poll | ||
| Team | Points | Team | Points |
| 1. Weber State | 114 (7) | 1. Weber State | 181 (10) |
| 2. Idaho | 104 (1) | 2. Montana | 167 (3) |
| 3. North Dakota | 103 (3) | 3. Idaho | 158 (2) |
| 4. Montana | 96 | 4. North Dakota | 137 (1) |
| 5. Idaho State | 79 | 5. Eastern Washington | 121 |
| 6. Montana State | 73 (1) | 5. Idaho State | 121 |
| 7. Eastern Washington | 56 | 7. Montana State | 92 |
| 8. Portland State | 49 | 8. Sacramento State | 78 |
| 9. Sacramento State | 44 | 9. Portland State | 69 |
| 10. Northern Arizona | 36 | 10. Northern Colorado | 54 |
| 11. Northern Colorado | 25 | 11. Northern Arizona | 40 |
| 12. Southern Utah | 13 | 12. Southern Utah | 30 |
| First place votes in parenthesis | |||
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