Bearcat men make NABC top 25

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Northwest men’s basketball team was ranked No. 14 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) NCAA Division II preseason poll. The Bearcats received 141 points and were the highest ranked MIAA program in the season-opening poll. Missouri Southern, Nebraska-Kearney, and Central Missouri all received votes.

The Bearcats were picked first in the MIAA preseason coaches poll after going 25-7 with an outright MIAA regular season title in 2014-15. Northwest also advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen for the second consecutive season. First team All-MIAA performer Justin Pitts was also named the MIAA Freshman of the Year. Senior guard Conner Crooker earned second team All-MIAA honors while Zach Schneider was an All-MIAA honorable mention performer. Head coach Ben McCollum was named the MIAA’s Co-Coach of the Year with Kevin Muff of Pittsburg State.

Northwest opens the 2015-16 season at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13, against Upper Iowa in St. Joseph. The first home action for the Bearcats will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 24, against Central Methodist. Northwest will face Augustana, the NABC’s top ranked team, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.