NEW CASTLE, DEL. – The University of Sioux Falls Men's Basketball Team, which has been ranked in two national 2020-21 national polls already, has been listed No. 5 in the D2SIDA Preseason Regional Rankings and also earned votes in the D2SIDA Preseason National Poll released today.
The Cougars received 34 points in the regional poll and stand fifth behind Northwest Missouri State (60); Northern State (53); Missouri Southern (48); and Henderson State (38). USF earned 10 points in the national poll.
Earlier this month, USF was ranked 23
rd in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (
NABC) national preseason poll and 19
th by The Basketball Times.
Directed by
NSIC Coach of the Year
Chris Johnson (233-166 overall – USF career wins leader with 217-151 mark), the Cougars finished 22-8 (best record at the DII level, since 2012) and won the
NSIC South Division with a DII program best mark of 17-5 in 2019-20.
USF, which was seeded No. 2 in the conference tourney and reached as high as No. 8 in the regional rankings in 2019-20, returns five starters, which includes first team all-conference junior guard Chase
Grinde and second team all-league redshirt senior forward
Teathloach Pal. Sophomore guard
Jack Thompson (10.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.7 spg) also returns after earning
NSIC All-Freshman Team honors. USF also welcomes back 6-9 senior forward
Austin Slater (9.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg) as well junior guard
Troy Houghton (6.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg) and a group of talented newcomers.
The Cougars will feature significant experience with eight of the top nine players returning and a host of talented newcomers. USF led the
NSIC in scoring defense at 66.2 ppg and was second in rebounding margin at 7.3 per game (35.7 to 28.4). The Cougars also blocked three shots per game and ranked fifth with 6.37 steals per game. Cougars advanced to the
NSIC quarterfinals for the fifth straight year where they lost to Minnesota State, 60-59 and season ended. They were ranked as high as eighth in the central region rankings.
USF is scheduled to open a 16-game (conference only) regular season on Jan. 2 against U-Mary at the Stewart Center.
D2SIDA Preseason Regional Poll – Central Region
| 1 |
Northwest Missouri (6) |
21-1 |
60 |
|
| 2 |
Northern State |
26-6 |
53 |
|
| 3 |
Missuori Southern |
23-8 |
48 |
|
| 4 |
Henderson State |
23-8 |
38 |
|
| 5 |
Sioux Falls |
22-8 |
34 |
|
| 6 |
Oklahoma Baptist |
22-9 |
26 |
|
| 7 |
Washburn |
16-13 |
25 |
|
| 8 |
Southeastern Oklahoma |
23-8 |
15 |
|
| 9 |
Rogers State |
24-6 |
12 |
|
| 10 |
Winona State |
18-12 |
9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| RV |
Southern Nazarene - 7; Augustana - 2; MSU Moorhead - 1 |
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