By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association released its 2020-21 Preseason Coaches Poll for men’s basketball on Tuesday (Nov. 10), as part of MIAA Virtual Media Day presented by Seigfried Bingham. Fort Hays State tied for seventh in the poll with Pittsburg State, both receiving 75 points.
Northwest Missouri State, the defending MIAA regular season and tournament champion from a year ago, tops the poll unanimously with 169 points receiving all 13 first-place votes it can possibly receive. Missouri Southern received the other first place vote, ranked second at 147 points. Coaches cannot vote for their own team.
Washburn, Rogers State, Missouri Western, and Central Oklahoma bridge the gap between Fort Hays State and the top two teams in the poll. Rogers State is fourth, but finished second last year, which was their first year of membership with the MIAA.
Fort Hays State is coming off a tie for ninth place in the MIAA standings last year. FHSU was 14-14 overall and 7-12 in the MIAA. Unfortunately, the short end of a three-way tiebreak for ninth last year kept FHSU out of the MIAA Tournament. Two of Fort Hays State’s starters from last year return, which includes Jared Vitztum, an All-MIAA selection last year, and Nyjee Wright. They led the Tigers in scoring last year, Vitztum at 14.6 points per game and Wright following with 10 per game. FHSU also has four players that saw time as reserves last year returning to the floor.
Mark Johnson enters his 20th year guiding the Tigers. He is the longest tenured coach in the program’s history and the program’s all-time wins leader with a career record of 373-186. The Tigers have won three conference titles and made seven NCAA Tournament appearances on his watch.
The season opener for FHSU will be on Thursday, November 19 in a home contest against in-state rival Washburn. Both the FHSU men and women have a 22-game MIAA schedule in 2020-21 without any non-conference opponents on the slate.
FHSU will allow fans at Gross Memorial Coliseum in a limited capacity this season. More information on tickets, policies, and procedures can be found HERE.
2020-2021 MIAA Men’s Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll
1. Northwest Missouri (13) – 169 points
2. Missouri Southern (1) – 147 points
3. Washburn – 140 points
4. Rogers State – 123 points
5. Missouri Western – 122 points
6. Central Oklahoma – 106 points
T7. Fort Hays State – 75 points
T7. Pittsburg State – 75 points
9. Lincoln – 67 points
10. Nebraska Kearney – 64 points
11. Central Missouri – 60 points
12. Emporia State – 56 points
13. Northeastern State – 55 points
14. Newman – 17 points
*Coaches Cannot Vote For Their Own Team