It's about as you'd expect.
The Lincoln Blue Tigers were picked to finish 14th by both the coaches and media when the preseason men's MIAA basketball polls were released Wednesday.
Lincoln finished last in the coaches poll with 15 points, 11 behind 13th-place Nebraska-Kearney. Fort Hays State was picked to win the conference with 153 points, barely edging out Northwest Missouri (149). The latter, however, held a 6-5 edge in first-place votes.
Lincoln garnered 30 points in the media poll, finishing 34 points behind Nebraska-Kearney. Fort Hays State was also picked to win the league with 353 points, garnering a MIAA-best 13 first-place votes. Northwest Missouri was picked second with 330 points and nine first-place votes.
Lincoln returns just two starters from a squad that went 3-25 overall and 2-16 in league play in 2012-13, and lost the MIAA's leading scorer from a season ago.
Cedric Ridle Jr. topped the conference with 21 points per game last season as a senior.
Charles Cole is the top returning scorer for the Blue Tigers at 15 points per game.
Lincoln opens the regular season with a contest Nov. 9 against Arkansas Tech in the Southwest Baptist University Classic in Bolivar.
MIAA Men's Basketball
Preseason Coaches Poll
The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association released its preseason coaches poll Wednesday. First-place votes are in parentheses. Here are the results:
- Fort Hays State (5) 153
- Northwest Missouri (6) 149
- Central Missouri 129
- Northeastern State (1) 127
- Central Oklahoma (1) 113
- Missouri Southern (1) 104
- Washburn 101
- Pittsburg State 93
- Emporia State 83
- Lindenwood 81
- Missouri Western 54
- Southwest Baptist 46
- Nebraska-Kearney 26
- Lincoln 15
Preseason Media Poll
The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association released its preseason media poll Wednesday. First-place votes are in parentheses. Here are the results:
- Fort Hays State (13) 353
- Northwest Missouri (9) 330
- Central Missouri (2) 301
- Northeastern State (1) 296
- Washburn (1) 265
- Central Oklahoma 234
- Pittsburg State 204
- Lindenwood 195
- Missouri Southern (1) 194
- Emporia State 164
- Southwest Baptist 103
- Missouri Western 102
- Nebraska-Kearney 64
- Lincoln 30
Adam Stillman's Ballot
- Fort Hays State; 2. Northeastern State; 3. Northwest Missouri; 4. Central Missouri; 5. Central Oklahoma.
- Lindenwood; 7. Washburn; 8. Pittsburg State; 9. Missouri Southern; 10. Emporia State.
- Missouri Western; 12. Southwest Baptist; 13. Nebraska-Kearney; 14. Lincoln.