October 23, 2023
BISMARCK, N.D. – Mayville State (N.D.) was picked to win the 2023-24 North Star Athletic Association Men’s Basketball conference title, the conference coaches’ preseason poll was announced Monday by the conference office. Points were awarded on a 7-1 basis and coaches can vote for their own team.
MSU tallied five first place votes and 45 points to earn the top spot in the NSAA Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Preseason Poll.
The Comets swept both the North Star regular-season and postseason tournament titles in 2022-23, finishing with an overall record of 25-6 and 12-2 record in league contests. MSU defeated Dickinson State (N.D.) for the NSAA postseason tournament’s championship game and qualified for the NAIA national tournament, where they fell to Peru State (Neb.) 101-92 in the opening round.
Viterbo (Wis.) was picked to finish second in the preseason poll after picking up a first-place vote and 41 points. The Blue Hawks earned the final first-place vote and registered 38 points to finish third in the poll.
Valley City State (N.D.) was fourth with 23 points, followed by Bellevue (Neb.) fifth with 19 points, Dakota State (S.D.) sixth with 16 points, and Waldorf (Iowa) seventh with 14 points.
The 2023-24 NAIA Men’s Basketball officially begins their season on Thursday.
The NSAA conference season gets underway on Jan. 6, 2024, with Bellevue hosting Dakota State. Most conference games will begin the following week.
Each NSAA member will play a total of 12 conference games, playing six home games and six road games during the conference season. The regular-season finale is set for Feb. 16-17, 2024.
All seven teams will compete in the North Star Athletic Association basketball postseason tournament. This year’s conference tournament will be held at the higher seeds’ campus site in each round, starting with the opening round on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024. The top seed will receive a bye in the opening round and play in the semifinals round which is set for Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024.
The NSAA Men’s Basketball Postseason Tournament is set for Sunday, March 3, 2024, at the highest remaining seed in the tournament.
The NSAA’s tournament champion will receive an automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament’s Opening Round on March 15-16, 2024. The winner of the national tournament’s opening round will move on to the final site in the NAIA National Championships, held in Kansas City, Mo. from March 21-26, 2024.
Here is the complete 2023-24 NSAA Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Preseason Poll:
| 2023-24 North Star Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll |
| Rank |
School |
Points |
| 1 |
Mayville State (N.D.) (5) |
45 |
| 2 |
Viterbo (Wis.) (1) |
41 |
| 3 |
Dickinson State (N.D.) (1) |
38 |
| 4 |
Valley City State (N.D.) |
23 |
| 5 |
Bellevue (Neb.) |
19 |
| 6 |
Dakota State (S.D.) |
16 |
| 7 |
Waldorf (Iowa) |
14 |
| *First-place votes in parenthesis |
2023-24 North Star Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Team Capsules (provided by NSAA institutions' Sports Information Directors)
 Bellevue (Neb.)
Head Coach: Lucas Gabriel (5th season)
2022-23 Record: 15-14 overall record, 7-7 NSAA (5th place)
2023 Postseason: NSAA Postseason Quarterfinalist
2022 NAIA Final Ranking: N/A
Top Returners from 2022-23 season:
(#3) Vinny Belcaster (Junior – Guard) – 11.5 ppg, 32 3-pointers, 82 assists
(#11) Christian Carter (Junior – Guard) – 4.7 ppg, 47 assists
(#25) Jerome Bynum (Senior – Guard) – 3.6 ppg from 2021-22 season |
 Dakota State (S.D.)
Head Coach: Darren Tighe (1st season)
2022-23 Record: 12-17 overall record, 6-8 NSAA (6th place)
2023 Postseason: NSAA Postseason Tournament Quarterfinalist
2023 NAIA Final Ranking: N/A
Top Returners from 2022-23 season:
(#34) Ethan Slaathaug (Junior – Guard) – 4.3 ppg, 48.5% FG, 1.2 rpg
(#25) Taylor Edwards (Junior – Forward) – 2.2 ppg, 44.7% FG, 1.8 rpg |
 Dickinson State (N.D.)
Head Coach: Derek Selvig (4th season)
2022-23 Record: 15-15 overall record, 9-5 NSAA (Tie 2nd place)
2022-23 Postseason: NSAA Tournament Runner-up
2023 NAIA Final Ranking: N/A
Top Returners from 2022-23 season:
(#5) John Evans (Junior – Guard) – NSAA 1st Team All-Conference, NSAA All-Defense
Team; 12.7 ppg, 49% FG, 4.8 rpg, 2.0 apg
(#2) Kose Egbule (Junior – Guard) – NSAA All-Conference Honorable Mention, NSAA All-Defense Team; 10.7 ppg,
43.7% FG; 4.3 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.3 spg
(#20) Gus Wright (Junior – Forward) – 11.0 ppg, 50.2% FG, 3.9 rpg |
 Mayville State (N.D.)
Head Coach: Brandon McGruder (2nd season)
2022-23 Record: 25-6 overall record, 12-2 NSAA (1st place)
2022-23 Postseason: NAIA National Tournament Opening Round
qualifier; NSAA Postseason Tournament Champion; NSAA
Regular-Season Champion
2023 NAIA Final Ranking: RV (receiving votes)
Top Returners from 2022-23 season:
(#23) Thomas Gieske (Senior – Guard) – NAIA Men’s Basketball All-America 3rd Team; NSAA Most Valuable Player;
NSAA 1st Team All-Conference; 16.3 ppg, 61.2% FG, 7.3 rpg
(#35) Jamison Kramer (Senior – Forward) – NSAA Honorable Mention; 11.1 ppg, 53.2% FG, 4.8 rpg
(#3) JC Canahuate (Senior – Guard) – 7.2 ppg, 53.1% FG, 3.7 apg, 2.0 rpg |
 Valley City State (N.D.)
Head Coach: Ryan Montgomery (8th season)
2022-23 Record: 16-14 overall record, 8-6 NSAA (4th place)
2023 Postseason: NSAA Semifinalist
2023 NAIA Final Ranking: N/A
Top Returners from 2022-23 season:
(#2) Cayden Rickard (Junior – Guard) – NSAA All-Conference Honorable Mention;
11.1 ppg, 2.1 apg, 1.8 spg
(#3) Cleveland Bedgood (Senior – Guard) – 6.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.1 apg
(#33) Hunter Lyman (Junior – Forward) – 7.5 ppg, 60.9% FG, 6.3 rpg |
 Viterbo (Wis.)
Head Coach: Wayne Wagner (25th season)
2022-23 Record: 15-13 overall record, 9-5 NSAA (Tie 2nd place)
2022-23 Postseason: NSAA Tournament Quarterfinalist
2023 NAIA Final Ranking: N/A
Top Returners from 2022-23 season:
(#44) Jack Monis (Senior – Forward) – 2-time NAIA All-America Honorable Mention, 3-time NSAA 1st Team
All-Conference; 16.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg
(#24) Ben Olson (Sophomore – Forward) – NSAA 2nd Team All-Conference; NSAA Freshmen of the Year – 13.8 ppg,
4.5 rpg, 1.5 spg
(#15) Dakota Mannel (Sophomore – Guard) – 7.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 5.8 apg, 1.7 spg, 44% 3-point FG
(#25) Colin Adams (Sophomore – Forward) – 4.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg |
 Waldorf (Iowa)
Head Coach: Nigel Jenkins (13th season)
2022-23 Record: 9-19 overall record, 4-10 NSAA (7th place)
2023 Postseason: NSAA Semifinalist
2023 NAIA Final Ranking: N/A
Top Returners from 2022-23 season:
(#11) Khyle Washington (Senior – Point Guard) – NSAA 2nd Team All-Conference;
14.3 ppg, 48.2% FG, 6.5 rpg, 4.0 apg, 1.5 spg
(#25) Noah Miller (Junior – Point Guard) – 10.9 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.9 apg
(#0) Justin Wiggins (Junior – Point Guard) – 6.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg
(#14) Khalil Grayson (Junior – Guard) – 5.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg |