BURNSVILLE -- The Bemidji State men’s basketball team was picked to finish third in the North Division this season when the 2020-21 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll was released Thursday. The selection is the highest the Beavers have been picked to finish in the North since the NSIC began using the two-division format in 2012-13.
The Beavers garnered 35 points in the poll, which was divided exclusively into North and South Division rankings due to the shortened season. BSU trailed only Northern State (49 points) and Minnesota State Moorhead (43) in the North, with NSU receiving seven first-place votes and MSUM one.
Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State each earned 28 points to tie for fourth, while University of Mary (16), Minot State (14) and Minnesota Crookston (11) rounded out the North Division poll in sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively.
Augustana was picked to win the South Division with 46 points and four first-place votes.
Senior guard Nick Wagner was selected as Bemidji State’s Player to Watch after earning All-NSIC Honorable Mention honors and setting the program single-season record for 3-point field goals made with 80 a year ago. He led BSU by averaging 14.7 points per game last season.
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Northern State’s Parker Fox was named Preseason North Division Player of the Year, while Winona State’s Kevion Taylor was named Preseason South Division Player of the Year.
The Beavers finished 14-13 overall last season, their most wins and first winning season since 2013-14.
Bemidji State is scheduled to open the eight-week season Jan. 2-3 with a two-game road set at Minnesota State.
