BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The Augustana men’s basketball team was tabbed second overall out of 16 teams in the Preseason NSIC Coaches’ Poll, while Sioux Falls was picked 10th, as announced by the league Thursday morning.
Augie junior Matt Cartwright and USF junior Pal Teathloach were two of the eight Players to Watch in the southern division, in which the Vikings were picked to finish 2nd out of eight teams the Cougars 4th.
Minnesota State-Mankato is the narrow overall and southern division favorite over Augie. Minnesota-Duluth was picked third overall and the northern division favorite.
The Vikings earned six first-place votes in the overall poll (to MSU’s 7) and three first-place votes in the south division-specific poll (to MSU’s 5).
Augie is coming off an NSIC South co-championship, finishing 18-11 overall and 14-8 in NSIC action. The Vikings did not have a senior on last year’s team and return Cartwright, the squad’s top scorer at 16 points per game, ranking 12th in the NSIC a season ago with his points per game average while ranking fourth in the league hitting 42.5 percent of his 3-point field goal attempts.
USF finished last season one game back of sharing the NSIC South with MSU, Augie, and Wayne State (13-9 NSIC and 19-11 overall). The Cougars lost to graduation two of the top five scorers in the league and in school history — Trevon Evans and Drew Guebert.
Teathloach, a 6’9 forward from Fridley, Minn., averaged 16 minutes and 4.2 points per game and leads a young squad.
The Vikings also bring back Adam Dykman who played in just one game last year before injury but averaged 10.9 points per game as a sophomore in 2017-18. Other top returners include Tyler Riemersma and Michael Schaefer, who each scored 13.7 points per game.
Augustana opens the season with the Opening Weekend Conference Challenge Nov. 9-10 against Arkansas-Monticello and Central Missouri. The following weekend, the Vikings will play at the East/West Challenge against Black Hills State and South Dakota Mines in Spearfish, South Dakota.
The home opener is slated for Nov. 21 against Buena Vista in the Elmen Center while the Vikings make their much-anticipated debut at their new home, the Sanford Pentagon, on Dec. 6 hosting Winona State. An exhibition game against Concordia-Moorhead is scheduled for Nov. 1 inside the Pentagon, a night set to honor Sanford Health & a Legacy of Leadership.
USF opens the season at Kansas City’s famed Municipal Auditorium in the NSIC-MIAA challenge on Nov. 8-9 against Lincoln and Pittsburg State. The Cougars home opener is Saturday, Nov. 16 against Dakota State.
