MADISON, S.D. -- The Bellevue University men's basketball team is expected to bring home their 12th-straight conference title in 2020-21, according to the North Star Athletic Association's annual Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the NSAA office on Thursday.
The Bruins are coming off a season in which they posted a 24-8 overall mark and won their 11th-straight regular season conference title with a 13-1 mark in NSAA play.
Bellevue earned seven of eight first place votes and 57 total points to finish comfortably ahead of second place Mayville State (51 points, 1 first place vote) in the voting.
BU returns three starters off of last year's squad, led by NSAA Player of the Year and second team All-American 6-5 combo guard Jemeil King (15.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 155 assists). The two other returning starters are 6-6 point-forward Lewis Hayes (12.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 34 blocks) who was a first team all-NSAA pick last year, and 6-4 wing Jaylen Wiltz (8.2 PPG, 39.3 3-FG%).
Also back for the Bruins are 6-7 center Isaiah Bates (7.0 PPG, 79.8 FG%, 3.8 RPG), 6-5 center Vaj Rice (2.4 PPG, 76.3 FG%), and 6-5 guard/forward Matt Blaney (1.1 PPG, 1.3 RPG).
Mayville State (24-5 | 11-3 NSAA) and Bellevue have combined to win the last four NSAA Tournament titles with the Bruins winning in 2017 and the Comets taking the last three, including last year's with a 65-62 win over Waldorf in the championship game.
Valley City (9-20/5-9) was picked third and 2020 Tournament runner-up Waldorf (12-18/7-7) was chosen fourth. Dakota State (8-23/4-10) edged out Viterbo (15-14/8-6) for fifth, 27-26, while Dickinson State (10-17/8-6) earned 23 points and Presentation (3-27/0-14) received 19 to round out the poll.
Each NSAA member will be playing a total of 14 conference games this season, with each team playing home and away games during the conference season.
The conference slate gets underway on Dec. 5 with four games on the schedule. Dickinson State travels to Valley City State; Dakota State visits Bellevue; Mayville State welcomes Presentation and Viterbo hosts Waldorf.
The quarterfinal round of NSAA Postseason Tournament is scheduled for Feb. 24. The four opening-round winners will advance to the Watertown Civic Arena for the semifinals and championship on Feb. 27-28. The North Star Tournament Champion will receive an automatic bid to the Opening Round scheduled for March 12-13.
There will be a new format for this year's NAIA National Tournament. With the NAIA combining for one division, 16 National Tournament's Opening Round sites will each produce one winner to advance to the National Tournament Final Site at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. from March 18-23, 2021.
Bellevue is slated to open the season on Saturday, Oct. 24 at Briar Cliff and will play their home-opener on Monday, Oct. 26 when they host Saint Mary at 6 p.m. from the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
