HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Coaches, media members and athletics communications representatives selected the Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team to finish third in the Horizon League Preseason Poll, the league office announced Thursday.
NKU, which finished second in the 2020 regular-season standings and claimed its third Horizon League Tournament Championship in the last four years, collected 413 total points and four first place votes.
Wright State, which won last year’s regular-season crown, picked up 37 first-place votes and 517 points. Just ahead of Northern Kentucky in second is Youngstown State. The Penguins garnered the other three first-place votes and narrowly edged the Norse with 423 points.
League newcomer and reigning NEC Tournament champion Robert Morris leads the remaining contingent with its fourth-place nod. UIC, Oakland, Cleveland State, Green Bay, Detroit Mercy and Milwaukee rank 5-through-10, respectively. Purdue Fort Wayne, another newcomer to the league, was picked 11th, while IUPUI was chosen 12th.
Northern Kentucky bookends its league schedule with fellow preseason top-3 selections, opening the 2020-21 slate with Youngstown State at BB&T Arena on Dec. 19-20 and closing the docket against rival and top-pick Wright State on Feb. 19-20.
#NorseUp
2020-21 #HLMBB Preseason Poll Results
Pl. School (1st-place) – Votes
1. Wright State (37) – 517
2. Youngstown State (3) – 423
3. Northern Kentucky (4) – 413
4. Robert Morris – 345
5. UIC – 312
6. Oakland – 288
7. Cleveland State – 283
8. Green Bay – 253
9. Detroit Mercy – 185
10. Milwaukee – 172
11. Purdue Fort Wayne – 127
12. IUPUI - 114
#HLMBB Preseason Player of the Year
Loudon Love, Wright State
Preseason All-Horizon League First Team (alphabetical order by school)
Antoine Davis, Detroit Mercy
Amari Davis, Green Bay
Marcus Burk, IUPUI
Loudon Love, Wright State
Darius Quisenberry, Youngstown State
Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team (alphabetical order by school)
Algevon Eichelberger, Cleveland State
Te’Jon Lucas, Milwaukee
Rashad Williams, Oakland
AJ Bramah, Robert Morris
Naz Bohannon, Youngstown State