MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris men's basketball team ended in fifth place in the UMAC Preseason Poll, released on Monday by the conference office. The Cougars pulled in 30 points in a vote of the conference's head coaches.
A tight battle is expected at the top of the UMAC with three teams earning first-place votes. The University of Northwestern finished in first place in the poll with 60 points and five first-place votes. Close behind was the College of St. Scholastica with 57 points and three first-place votes. Bethany Lutheran College came in third with 51 points and the remaining first-place vote in the poll.
The University of Wisconsin-Superior claimed the fourth spot in the poll, ending with 42 points. The Cougars followed in fifth place with 30 points. Close behind, tied for sixth place, were Crown College and North Central University with 29 points apiece. Rounding out the poll were Northland College (18 points) and Martin Luther College (eight points).
The University of Minnesota Morris brings back five players from last season who all scored nine points per game or more.
Dillon Haider was the team's leading scorer at 15.2 points per game.
Kenneth Riley and
James Pendleton started all 25 games and scored at rates of 11.2 and 11.1 points per game, respectively.
Jaret Johnson added 11.0 points per game and
Ian Carlin tacked on another 9.2 per game.
The season opens for the Cougars on Saturday with a trip to St. Scholastica for a 3 p.m. contest in Duluth. UMN Morris comes back home to Jim Gremmels Court for its home opener on Wednesday, February 3 against Martin Luther at 7 p.m. An eight-game regular season concludes with a Senior Day battle against UW-Superior on Feb. 27 leading into the UMAC Tournament in early March.
