October 21, 2024
BISMARCK, N.D. – Dickinson State (N.D.) edged out both Bellevue (Neb.) and Jamestown (N.D.) by two points in the 2024 North Star Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Preseason Poll, announced by the conference office Monday.
The Blue Hawks collected three first place votes and 29 points to capture the top spot in the conference preseason poll. BU picked up the other three first place votes and tallied 27 points. NSAA regular-season champion Bellevue defeated Dickinson State in last year’s postseason tournament’s championship game.
DiSU finished the 2023-24 season with an overall record of 17-13 and tied for third in the conference with a 6-6 record with three other teams. The Bruins were 15-15 overall record and 8-4 NSAA conference last season and advanced to the NAIA national tournament.
Jamestown, returning to the North Star Athletic Association for the first time since 2017-18 season, finished in a tie for second with Bellevue (27 points). Dakota State (S.D.) was fourth with 18 points, followed by Mayville State (N.D.) fifth with 16 points, and Valley City State (N.D.) sixth with nine points.
The 2024-25 NAIA Men’s Basketball officially begins their season on Thursday.
The NSAA conference season gets underway on Dec. 13-15, 2024, with Valley City State and Mayville State visiting Bellevue and Dakota State. Jamestown hosts Dickinson State on Dec. 13 in both teams’ conference season opener.
Each NSAA member will play a total of 15 conference games (each team will play a total of three NSAA conference meetings this season).
All six 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. 26, 2025. The top two seeds will receive a bye in the opening round and play in the semifinals round which is set for Saturday, March 1, 2025.
The NSAA Men’s Basketball Postseason Tournament championship game is set for Tuesday, March 4, 2025, 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 14-15, 2025. 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 20-25, 2025.
Here is the complete 2024-25 NSAA Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Preseason Poll:
| 2024-25 North Star Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll |
| Rank |
School |
Points |
| 1 |
Dickinson State (N.D.) (3) |
29 |
| T2 |
Bellevue (Neb.) (3) |
27 |
| T2 |
Jamestown (N.D.) |
27 |
| 4 |
Dakota State (S.D.) |
18 |
| 5 |
Mayville State (N.D.) |
16 |
| 6 |
Valley City State (N.D.) |
9 |
| *First-place votes in parenthesis |
2024-25 North Star Athletic Association Men's Basketball Team Capsules
 Bellevue (Neb.)
Head Coach: Lucas Gabriel (5th season)
2023-24 Record: 15-15 overall record, 8-4 NSAA (1st place)
2024 Postseason: NAIA National Tournament Opening Round qualifier;
NSAA Postseason Tournament Champion; NSAA Regular-Season
Champion
2024 NAIA Final Ranking: N/A
Top Returners from 2023-24 season:
(#2) TJ Fritz (Senior – Guard) – NSAA All-Conference Honorable Mention,
13.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 44.9% FG; 79 3-pointers
(#12) Jaden Phillips (Senior – Guard) – 7.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 0.9 spg
(#15) Liam Thompson (Sophomore – Forward) – NSAA All-Defense Team, 3.9 ppg, 3.5
rpg, 0.7 bpg, 0.6 spg |
 Dakota State (S.D.)
Head Coach: Darren Tighe (2nd season)
2023-24 Record: 17-13 overall record, 6-6 NSAA (tied 3rd place)
2024 Postseason: NSAA Postseason Tournament Semifinalist
2024 NAIA Final Ranking: N/A
Top Returners from 2023-24 season:
(#34) Ethan Slaathaug (Senior – Forward) – 10.3 ppg, 49.2% FG,
3.4 rpg, 0.9 spg
(#2) Brayden Pankonen (Sophomore – Guard) – NSAA Freshman of the Year,
9.4 ppg, 65 3-pointers, 2.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.4 spg |
 Dickinson State (N.D.)
Head Coach: Derek Selvig (5th season)
2023-24 Record: 17-13 overall record, 6-6 NSAA (Tie 3rd place)
2023-24 Postseason: NSAA Tournament Runner-up
2024 NAIA Final Ranking: N/A
Top Returners from 2022-23 season:
(#3) Trey Stevens (Senior – Guard ) – NSAA All-Conference First
Team, 14.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 65 3-pointers
(#2) Kose Egbule (Senior – Guard) – NSAA All-Conference Honorable Mention,
NSAA All-Defense Team, 11.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 41.3% FG, 3.2 apg, 1.2 spg
(#5) John Evans (Senior – Guard) – NSAA All-Conference First Team, 11.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg,
44.4% FG, 1.7 apg
(#20) Gus Wright (Senior – Forward) – 10.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 44% FG, 0.7 bpg
(#30) Cordell Stinson (Junior – Forward) – 9.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 0.8 spg, 1.9 apg
(#1) Jaiden Wright (Senior – Guard) – 6.6 ppg, 1.5 apg, 2.1 rpg |
 Jamestown (N.D.)
Head Coach: Casey Bruggeman (1st season)
2023-24 Record: 17-12 overall record, 12-8 GPAC (tied 5th place)
2023-24 Postseason: GPAC Quarterfinalist
2024 NAIA Final Ranking: N/A
Top Returners from 2023-24 season:
(#2) Silas Bennion – (Sophomore – Guard) – GPAC All-
Conference First Team, 18.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 50.1% FG,
55 3-pointers, 2.8 apg, 2.0 spg
(#55) Will Cordes (Senior – Guard) – GPAC All-Conference Honorable Mention,
11.7 ppg, 41.0% FG, 3.0 apg, 0.8 spg
(#22) Jimmy Llinas (Senior – Forward) – GPAC All-Conference Second Team, GPAC
Defensive Player of the Year, 9.4 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 60.8% FG, 2.5 bpg |
 Mayville State (N.D.)
Head Coach: Brandon McGruder (3rd season)
2023-24 Record: 20-9 overall record, 7-5 NSAA (2nd place)
2024 Postseason: NSAA Semifinalist
2024 NAIA Final Ranking: N/A
Top Returners from 2023-24 season:
(#1) Darren Jones (Junior – Forward) – NAIA Men’s Basketball All-America
Third Team, NSAA Men’s Basketball Player-of-the-Year,
NSAA Men’s Basketball Newcomer of the Year, NSAA All-Conference
First Team - 15.5 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 52.4% FG, 1.6 spg, 1.8 apg, 0.6 bpg
(#24) John White, Jr. (Senior – Guard) – 9.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 45.9% FG |
 Valley City State (N.D.)
Head Coach: Ryan Montgomery (9th season)
2023-24 Record: 11-16 overall record, 3-9 NSAA (7th place)
2024 Postseason: NSAA Quarterfinalist
2024 NAIA Final Ranking: N/A
Top Returners from 2023-24 season:
(#10) Agwa Nywesh (Senior – Guard) – 13.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.8 spg, 1.6 apg
(#24) Lamar Grayson (Senior – Guard) – 12.5 ppg, 50.7% FG
(#42) Odier Olange (Senior – Forward) – 9.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 53.8% FG, 1.1 spg
(#22) Ladarious Stanfield (Senior – Forward) – 8.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 62.3% FG, 1.5 spg |