Bellevue men slotted fifth in NSAA Preseason Coaches' Poll

NSAA Release
2023-24 Roster
2023-24 Schedule

BISMARK, N.D. -- The Bellevue University men's basketball team has been picked to finish fifth in the North Star Athletic Association regular season in a vote of the NSAA's seven head men's basketball coaches.

Mayville State collected five of seven first place votes and 45 points to claim the top spot in the preseason poll, announced by the conference office Monday.

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 mark in league contests. MSU defeated Dickinson State for the NSAA Tournament's Championship Game to qualify for the NAIA national tournament, where they fell to Peru State (Neb.) 101-92 in the opening round.

Viterbo and Dickinson State each collected one of the remaining first place votes to pick up 41 and 38 points, respectively.

Valley City State was chosen fourth with 23 points, ahead of Bellevue, with 19 points, in fifth. Dakota State (16) and Waldorf (14) rounded out the poll.

Points are awarded on a 7-1 basis and coaches can vote for their own team.

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 be playing a total of 12 conference games this season, with each team playing home and away games during the conference season.

The Bruins return one starter and four letterwinners from last season's squad that finished with a 15-14 overall record and a 7-7 conference mark.

The top returners for the Bruins include junior guard Vinny Belcaster (11.5 ppg, 3.0 RPG, 82 assists), junior guard Christian Carter (4.7 ppg, 42.6% 3-point FG, 3.1 RPG) and sophomore guard Raydden Grobe (4.0 ppg, 1.2 rpg). Also back are a quartet of redshirts from a season ago in senior guard Jerome Bynum, junior forwards Makeem Loudermill and Deng Jal, junior center Emarr Vinson, and sophomore forward Liam Thompson.

Bellevue looks to replace several significant contributors following the graudations of two-time NSAA Defensive Player of the Year center Justin Motley (8.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 49 blocks), first team all-NSAA guard Paulo Araujo (15.0 ppg, 49.7 % 3-pt FG, 69 3-point FG, 4.4 rpg), and guard Taylor Pomeroy (9.9 ppg, 44.9 % 3-point FG), as well as the transfer of Keenami Maggard (9.3 ppg, 55.2 % fg, 4.9 rpg).

Among the newcomers for the Bruins are junior guards TJ Fritz (6-3, National Park College), Caleb Chiang (6-0, Columbia College), and Jaden Phillips (6-5, Las Positas College) as well as junior centers Nigel Wilson (6-9, Pasadena City College) and Terrence Craft (6-11, Chabot College).

All seven North Star members will compete in the men's basketball postseason conference tournament.  This year's conference tournament will be held at the higher seed campus sites in each round.  The opening round, in which the top seed will get a bye, will get underway on Feb. 21, 2024.  The semifinals are set for Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, with the championship game being held on Sunday, March 3, 2024.

The North Star Men's Basketball Tournament's champion will receive an automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament's Opening Round scheduled for March 15-16, 2024.  The winner of the national tournament's opening round will advance to the final site at historic Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. from March 21-26, 2023.

Here is the complete 2023-24 NSAA Men's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll:
 

The Bruins open the 2023-24 schedule this Friday-Saturday, Oct. 27-28, when they host the Chick-fil-A Classic at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center. BU will take on Chadron State at 7 p.m. on Friday and Kansas Wesleyan at 7 p.m. on Saturday.