Southwest MN State tabbed Mens BB favorites

(Burnsville, MN/Minnesota News Network) — The Southwest Minnesota State men’s basketball team has been tabbed the preseason favorite to win the N-S-I-C championship. The Mustangs received 11 of a possible 16 first-place votes in a survey of league coaches who were not allowed to vote for their own team. St. Cloud State was chosen second with two first-place tallies. Minnesota State-Mankato was picked third, followed by Concordia-St. Paul and Augustana, with each of those three getting a single first-place vote. Minnesota-Duluth was slotted in a tie for fifth, followed by Minnesota State-Moorhead, Sioux Falls, Winona State, Wayne State, and Minot State. Bemidji State was picked 12th, followed by Northern State, Jamestown, Minnesota-Crookston, and U-Mary. Southwest Minnesota State senior guard Jakob Braaten of Byron is the N-S-I-C Men’s Basketball South Division Preseason Player of the Year, while Minnesota-Duluth junior guard Caleb Siwek of Rosemount is the N-S-I-C Men’s Basketball North Division Preseason Player of the Year.