Lights picked second, Skylights sixth in Preseason hoops polls

The 2019 NAIA basketball season is right around the corner. And Frontier Conference fans got some excitement last weekend as the league announced its 2019-2020 Preseason Coaches Poll, and All-Conference Teams.

On the men's side, the Montana State University-Northern Lights, of head coach Shawn Huse, were picked second in the Frontier Men's Preseason Coaches Poll. The Lights, who finished tied for fourth last year, received 30 points and three first-place points in the poll. The University of Providence Argos were picked to win the men's Frontier title this season, while Lewis-Clark State was third, defensive Frontier champion Carroll College was picked fourth, followed by Montana Tech, Rocky Mountain College and Montana Western.

Carroll College was picked first in the Frontier Women's Preseason Coaches Poll. The Fighting Saints received six first-place votes. Northern, of longtime head coach Chris Mouat, was picked sixth in the poll, while RMC was second, Providence third, LC State fourth, defending Frontier and NAIA national champion Western fifth, and Montana Tech seventh.

Individually, Northern junior guard Mascio McCadney was named to the Frontier Men's Preseason All-Conference Team. That list also included former Havre Blue Pony Dane Warp. Warp, now a senior at Carroll, was named the Frontier Conference Men's Preseason Player of the Year.

Providence' Emilee Maldonado was named Frontier Women's Preseason Player of the year. Former Blue Pony and Carroll junior Dani Wagner was also named Preseason All-Conference.

The new basketball season begins this Sunday for the Skylights, with a home game against Mount Royal, and Nov. 2 for the Lights, when they host Providence College.]

Frontier Preseason Basketball Coaches Polls

Men

Providence (4) 34

MSU-Northern (3) 30

Lewis-Clark State 25

Carroll College 22

Montana Tech 17

Rocky Mountain 10

Montana Western 9

Women

Carroll College (6) 36

Rocky Mountain 25

Providence 24

Lewis-Clark State (1) 22.5

Montana Western 17.5

MSU-Northern 13

Montana Tech 9

Frontier Preseason All-Conference Team

Men

Dane Warp, Sr., Carroll (Preseason POY); Brandon Cotton, Sr., Providence; Taylor England, Jr., Montana Tech; Zach Darko-Kelly, Jr., Providence; Mascio McCadney, Jr., MSU-Northern; Damek Mitchell, Jr., LC State.

Women

Emilee Maldonado, Jr., Providence (Preseason POY); Christine Denny, Jr., Carroll; Parker Esary, Jr., Providence; Markaela Francis, Sr., RMC; Dani Wagner, Jr., Carroll; Mesa Williams, Jr., Montana Tech.