News you can use
News you can use
Tyler Chandler, right, and the Montana State University-Northern men's basketball team opens its season next Friday in Havre. The Lights were picked fifth in the Frontier Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. The Skylights were picked second.
On Tuesday, the top returning players in Frontier Conference basketball were announced. On Wednesday, the league announced its 2016-17 Frontier Preseason Coaches Polls.
As expected, the Montana State University-Northern Skylights were picked high in the preseason poll, as the Skylights came in second with 27 points and one first-place vote. Northern finished in a tie for third, going 11-7 last season, while advancing to the Frontier semifinals, and earning a third straight berth to the national tournament.
The only team picked ahead of MSU-N was defending Frontier champion Lewis-Clark State. The Warriors went to the NAIA Elite 8 last season, and garnered six first-place votes in the coaches poll. Fellow national tournament teams from a year ago, UGF and Carroll College were picked third and fourth, respectively.
The rest of the women's poll had Rocky Mountain College at six, followed by Montana Tech and UM-Western.
On the men's side, the Northern Lights were picked to finish fifth in the coaches poll. Northern, which went 8-10 in the Frontier a year ago, tying for fourth place, received 17 votes in the poll. Carroll College sits atop the poll, as the Fighting Saints garnered five first-place votes. Defending Frontier champion LC State got two first-place votes and is ranked second, while UM-Western is third and Rocky Mountain College is fourth. UGF and Montana Tech round out this year's coaches poll.
Votes were six points for first, five points for second, four points for third, three points for fourth, two points for fifth and one point for sixth. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.
Frontier Conference Women's Coaches Poll
Lewis-Clark State (6) 36
MSU-Northern (1) 27
Great Falls 26
Carroll College 21
Rocky Mountain 18
Montana Tech 9.5
Montana Western 9.5
Frontier Conference Men's Coaches
Poll
Carroll College (6) 34
Lewis-Clark State (2) 32
Montana-Western 24
Rocky Mountain 23
MSU-Northern 17
Great Falls 10
Montana Tech 7
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