By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The MIAA revealed the 2023-24 Preseason Men’s Basketball Coaches and Media Polls on Tuesday (Oct. 10) as part of its annual Basketball Media Day in Kansas City. Fort Hays State was picked third in the Coaches Poll and fourth in the Media Poll. The Tigers are coming off a 21-9 season in 2022-23, tying for third place in the MIAA regular season standings with Emporia State.
Fort Hays State has put together back-to-back 20-plus win seasons, but was just outside the mix of teams to make the NCAA Tournament each year. FHSU went 23-6 in 2021-22, it’s best mark under head coach Mark Johnson when not being selected to the NCAA Tournament, and had another strong season in 2022-23 at 21-9 finishing third in the perennially tough MIAA for a second-straight season. The Tigers have now won 20 or more under Johnson 11 times in his 22 years of guiding the program. He enters his 23rd season with a career record of 428-212, among the Top 25 winningest active coaches in NCAA Division II.
The Tigers have finished third in the MIAA regular season standings in each of the last two years. In 2021-22, they were just one game back of co-champions Northwest Missouri State and Central Oklahoma with a mark of 17-5 in the conference. Last year, Northwest Missouri returned to the top alone with Central Oklahoma second and then FHSU and Emporia State tying for third at 15-7. Northwest Missouri State has won or tied for the MIAA regular season title in each of the last 10 seasons. Fort Hays State and Central Missouri tied for the crown in 2012-13 season, which was the last time NWMSU did not win at least a share of the title.
The preseason polls have Northwest Missouri State as the favorite once again in 2023-24, but there is a bit of a shakeup among the top four teams in the conference from last year in the No. 2 through No. 4 positions. FHSU was picked third in the Coaches Poll and fourth in the Media Poll. Emporia State was tabbed second in the Coaches Poll and third in the Media Poll. Central Oklahoma was fourth in the Coaches Poll and second in the Media Poll. FHSU, ESU, and UCO all received one first-place vote in the Coaches Poll, while Northwest Missouri took the other 11 first-place votes. In the Media Poll, NWMSU and UCO were the only two teams to garner first-place votes.
The Tigers return all three of their All-MIAA performers from a season ago. All-MIAA First Team selection Kaleb Hammeke returns at point guard after averaging 16.4 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game in 2022-23. He was also an NABC All-District Second Team selection in the Central Region. He led the MIAA in minutes per game (36.3) and ranked sixth in the conference in scoring and fifth in assists. Hammeke scored in double figures in 27 of 30 games for FHSU last year. Joining him are All-MIAA Honorable Mention picks Elijah Nnanabu and Bjarni Jonsson. Nnanabu averaged 10.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, while Jonsson added 8.6 points and 3.7 points per game. Jonsson was also named to the MIAA All-Defensive Team for a second straight season.
Traejon Davis, Jaheim Holden, and Lucas Hammeke also return to the floor this season, while 2022-23 redshirts Kyle Grill and Nathan Hawk look to work their way into the mix. They join the three all-conference selections as the eight returners to the program this year. The Tigers have six newcomers, which includes four transfers and two true freshmen.
The Tigers will play an exhibition contest at the University of Kansas on November 1 before opening their regular season November 10-11 in Emporia, Kan., playing Southwestern Oklahoma State and Arkansas Tech in the MIAA/GAC Challenge. The first home action of the season will be on November 21 against Central Christian College after the Tigers play their first three games of the season away from Gross Memorial Coliseum.
Below are the 2023-24 MIAA Preseason Men’s Basketball Polls.
COACHES POLL
1. Northwest Missouri [11] – 166 points
2. Emporia State [1] – 151 points
3. Fort Hays State [1] – 147 points
4. Central Oklahoma [1] – 138 points
5. Missouri Southern – 120 points
6. Washburn – 106 points
7. Missouri Western – 92 points
8. Rogers State – 88 points
9. Northeastern State – 60 points
10. Central Missouri – 59 points
11. Pittsburg State – 55 points
12. Lincoln – 46 points
13. Newman – 24 points
14. Nebraska Kearney – 22 points
MEDIA POLL
1. Northwest Missouri [19] – 291 points
2. Central Oklahoma [2] – 260 points
3. Emporia State – 252 points
4. Fort Hays State – 229 points
5. Missouri Southern – 193 points
6. Lincoln – 163 points
7. Washburn – 162 points
8. Missouri Western – 141 points
9. Rogers State – 138 points
10. Central Missouri – 110 points
11. Pittsburg State – 96 points
12. Northeastern State – 87 points
13. Newman – 47 points
14. Nebraska Kearney – 36 points