INDIANAPOLIS - First-year member Findlay is projected to take the league by storm following the announcement of the 2017-18 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour on Wednesday.
Fresh off of a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Division II Championship bracket, the Oilers received all possible 11 first-place votes in the balloting done by the league’s coaches. Findlay was 25-7 in 2016-17 and advanced to the Midwest Regional final against Bellarmine.
The deadly combo of All-American candidates Martyce Kimbrough and Taren Sullian combined to average over 37 points per game while Findlay ended the year ranked 25th in the NABC Coaches Poll.
The Oilers were ranked as high as No. 22 in the country while preseason runner-up Kentucky Wesleyan was ranked as high as No. 15 throughout the 2016-17 campaign.
The back-to-back conference regular season and tournament champion Panthers of KWC have a combined record of 55-7 the last two seasons, including the regular season and postseason.
Kentucky Wesleyan will embrace the challenge of making it three straight while coming into a brand new season with the title of underdog. The Panthers received one first-place vote (schools cannot vote for themselves).
KWC’s personnel on the floor will have another different look with recent program standouts like Ken-Jah Bosley (Israel) and Jordan Jacks (Finland) having officially moved on to start their professional careers.
Kentucky Wesleyan and Findlay will collide in front of a national audience on ESPN3 in Croy Gymnasium as part of the NCAA DII Basketball Showcase later in January.
The Great Midwest men’s basketball conference standings will be competitive throughout the season with the additions of Findlay, Hillsdale, Lake Erie, Ohio Dominican and Walsh, along with improvement from existing conference members.
Another league newcomer, Hillsdale, came in ranked third after going 15-12 in the Chargers’ final tour through the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Alderson Broaddus, back-to-back conference champs in 2014 and 2015, was picked fourth as the Battlers return exciting Great Midwest Freshman of the Year Malik Bocook.
New Great Midwest members Ohio Dominican and Walsh head into the year sharing fifth place in the voting with a total of 77 votes. Malone and Davis & Elkins were separated by just two points for seventh and eighth.
Cedarville will start in ninth while Lake Erie and Trevecca each received 33 points to tie for 10th. Ohio Valley rounds out the preseason coaches poll, respectively.
The 2017-18 Great Midwest Men’s Basketball Season Preview will be posted next week on GreatMidwestsports.com with assistance from each institution’s sports information staff.
2017-18 Great Midwest Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour
| School |
Points |
| 1. Findlay (11 first-place votes) |
121 |
| 2. Kentucky Wesleyan (1 first-place vote) |
108 |
| 3. Hillsdale |
96 |
| 4. Alderson Broaddus |
91 |
| t5. Ohio Dominican |
77 |
| t5. Walsh |
77 |
| 7. Malone |
53 |
| 8. Davis & Elkins |
51 |
| 9. Cedarville |
41 |
| t10. Lake Erie |
33 |
| t10. Trevecca |
33 |
| 12. Ohio Valley |
11 |