KANSAS CITY, Mo. (November 10, 2020) – The MIAA announced its preseason coaches poll for the 2020-2021 women’s basketball season.
Emporia State topped this year’s coaches poll with a total of 153 points and four first-place votes. Last year, the Lady Hornets finished runner-up at the MIAA Women’s Basketball Championship and qualified for the NCAA Championship before it was canceled due to the COVID-19 Global Health Pandemic. Nebraska Kearney earned the most first-place votes with six and was tabbed second with 146 total points. The Association’s defending regular-season and tournament champion, Central Missouri, was picked third with 143 points and three first-place votes. Pittsburg State was slotted fourth and accumulated 140 points from the coaches. The final first-place vote went to Fort Hays State, which rounded out the top five with 125 points. Missouri Western was slated sixth followed by Central Oklahoma in seventh with Wasburn at eighth and Northwest Missouri in ninth. The top ten was closed out by Missouri Southern. Newman trailed MSSU in 11th with Northeastern State at 12th and Rogers State in 13th. The 2020-2021 preseason coaches poll was rounded out by Lincoln.
The MIAA tips off the regular-season on Thursday, November 19. Not only is the Association the first to get its season underway in NCAA Division II but one of the first to start in any of the three NCAA Divisions. To see the complete schedule of MIAA Basketball games, click here.
2020-2021 MIAA Women’s Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll
1. Emporia State (4) – 153 points
2. Nebraska Kearney (6) – 146 points
3. Central Missouri (3) – 143 points
4. Pittsburg State – 140 points
5. Fort Hays State (1) – 125 points
6. Missouri Western – 109 points
7. Central Oklahoma – 104 points
8. Washburn – 79 points
9. Northwest Missouri – 76 points
10. Missouri Southern – 65 points
11. Newman – 55 points
12. Northeastern State – 37 points
13. Rogers State – 28 points
14. Lincoln – 14 points
*Coaches Cannot Vote For Their Own Team
For the men, Northwest Missouri, the defending MIAA regular-season and tournament champion, was picked first in the preseason coaches poll with 169 points and 13 first-place votes. The Bearcats have won seven consecutive MIAA regular-season titles, the longest streak in Association History. Missouri Southern was tabbed second by the coaches with 147 points and the remaining first-place vote. In third-place was Washburn with 140 points followed by Rogers State with 123 points. RSU held the spot by a single point over Missouri Western as the Griffons rounded out the top five with 122 points. Central Oklahoma was slotted sixth as Fort Hays State and Pittsburg State tied for the seventh position. Lincoln was voted ninth and Nebraska Kearney concluded the top ten. Central Missouri was slated 11th with Emporia State tabbed in 12th as Northeastern State trailed in 13th. The 2020-2021 preseason coaches poll was rounded out by Newman.
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
