Kearney, Neb. – The MIAA has released its preseason coaches’ and media polls for the upcoming 2024-25 basketball season.
The league’s 14 head coaches voted on the makeup of the coaches’ poll and cannot vote for their own teams. The rankings were released this morning as part of MIAA “Media Day” in Kansas City.
On the women’s side, UNK is sixth in the coaches’ poll (97) and eighth on the media (129) side. The Lopers posted a 19-11-mark last winter and came in seventh place in the MIAA (12-10). They also reached the second-round of the league tournament in Kansas City.
Pittsburg State, Fort Hays State and Northwest Missouri State are the top three teams in both polls. Pitt received 10 of the 12 first place votes in the coaches’ poll and nine of the 14 media first place nods with Hays picking up the other five. Additionally, Missouri Southern is fourth on both sides.
Second-year head coach Drew Johnson and his staff have seven returning letterwinners including four starters. The veterans include Jillian Aschoff (Lincoln Pius), Meg Burns (Ankeny, Ia.), Samantha Moore (Mullen), Bailee Sobczak (Rapid City, S.D.) and Kia Wilson (St. George, Kan.)
The Loper men tallied 39 points in the coaches’ poll to come in 12th while garnering 42 points in the media rankings to be 13th. Washburn, Hays and Pitt State are the top three teams in the coaches’ poll with Hays, Pitt and Northwest being 1-2-3 in the media’s determination.
First-year head coach Marty Levinson has two returners on a 17-player roster in senior Tom Connelly (Denver) and redshirt freshman Clayton Moore (Mullen). The newcomers include six graduates or seniors in Chereef Knox (Philadelphia), RJ Ogom (Chicago), Chase Thompson (Omaha Westside), and Allen Taylor (Bradley, Ark.).
Both UNK teams begin the season on the road Nov. 8-9, the men in Marshall, Minn., and the women in Aberdeen, S.D.
MIAA preseason basketball polls released
