The Wayne State women’s basketball team was picked to finish 10th and the Wildcat men were 12th in the preseason NSIC basketball coaches polls released earlier this week.
The Wildcat women are picked to finish sixth in the South Division as first-year coach Brent Pollari’s team prepares for the upcoming season. Sophomore Erin Norling was named as the team’s Player to Watch as the team’s top returning scorer from last year, averaging 9.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. She was an All-NSIC Freshman Team selection last year.
Univeristy of Sioux Falls was named as the team to beat in the NSIC this year, followed by MSU Moorhead, Concordia-St. Paul, Augustana and Minnesota Duluth.
Coach Jeff Kaminsky’s Wildcat men are picked seventh in the South Divison this season and will be led by its Player to Watch, senior Kendall Jacks. He has started all but two games in his four-year career and has led the team in scoring the last two seasons, including a 13.7 points per game effort last year. He shot 50.5 percent from the field last year and also averaged 4.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.
Minnesota State and St. Cloud State are tied as the teams to beat according to the men’s coaches poll. Sioux Falls is third, followed by Winona State and Northern State.
The Wayne State women kick off the season Nov. 9-10 with the NSIC/MIAA Crossover at Rice Auditorium. They will face Northwest Missouri State on Friday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m., followed by a 5:30 p.m. matchup the following evening against Nebraska-Kearney
The Wildcat men start the season with an exhibition game on Thursday, Nov. 1 at Nebraska with a 7 p.m. tipoff at Pinnacle Bank arena. They open the season at the Central Region Tip-Off Classic Nov. 9-10 in Warrensburg, Mo. They face Pittsburg State at 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 9, followed by a 6 p.m. matchup Saturday, Nov. 10 against Central Missouri.
