Day: November 10, 2020

The Missouri Southern women’s basketball team was picked to finish 10th in the Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) preseason coaches poll that was released on Tuesday as part of the MIAA’s Virtual Media Day.

The Lions finished 10-18 overall last season and 7-12 in the MIAA, as they secured a berth into the postseason tournament last March. 

“We’re just excited to get started,” Lions coach Ronnie Ressel said during Tuesday’s virtual press conference. “We get to play in a week and a half. It’s 22 games that we get to play this year. Probably back in August we didn’t think we’d get this opportunity. Of course, it’s the MIAA. So every game is going to be a battle and a challenge. But we’re just extremely excited to get the opportunity.”

Southern has eight players back from last year’s team, with six having starting experience. 

Leading the charge will be 6-foot-3 senior center Zoe Campbell, who finished the season with a conference-best 62 blocks and was third on the team in scoring (8.8 ppg).

Fellow seniors Brooke Stauffer and Megan Jackson will help guide the Lions through an all-MIAA schedule. Juniors Layne Skiles and Kaiulani Jones and sophomores Emily Kuntze and Madi Stokes add depth.

Junior Amaya Johns is a transfer from Frank Phillips College and senior Carley Turnbull transferred from Monmouth College. 

Freshmen on the roster are Kaitlin Hunnicutt, Hailey Grant, Anna Hall and Biance Stocks. 

“Our returning kids, they understand the MIAA,” Ressel said. “We’re excited about our transfers and four freshmen. They’ve worked extremely hard in our preseason and I think they’ve done a really good job of buying in and competing everyday.” 

Emporia State topped the coaches poll with four first-place votes. Nebraska-Kearney followed up in second with the most first-place votes being selected with six, while defending regular season and MIAA tournament champions Central Missouri slotted in third with three first-place votes. Pittsburg State and Fort Hays State rounded out the top five with the Tigers picking up a first-place vote.

The Lions will head to Edmond, Oklahoma to open up the 2020-21 season with Central Oklahoma on Nov. 19 at 5:30.

“Getting off to a good start will be important,” Ressel said. “In our league, there’s no easy games. So it will be extremely important to get off to a good start. With everything going on with COVID and everything else, I think it will be a battle to see who can stay the healthiest. I think a team that has some depth can have a lot of success this year because you don’t know from week to week what you’re going to have. It’s going to be important that every kid is prepared and ready to play.”

 

2020-2021 MIAA Women’s Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll

1. Emporia State (4) – 153 points
2. Nebraska Kearney (6) – 146 points
3. Central Missouri (3) – 143 points
4. Pittsburg State – 140 points
5. Fort Hays State (1) – 125 points 
6. Missouri Western – 109 points
7. Central Oklahoma – 104 points
8. Washburn – 79 points
9. Northwest Missouri – 76 points
10. Missouri Southern – 65 points
11. Newman – 55 points
12. Northeastern State – 37 points
13. Rogers State – 28 points
14. Lincoln – 14 points

 

The Missouri Southern State University men’s basketball team was picked to finish second in the 2020-21 Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) preseason coaches poll that was released on Tuesday as part of the MIAA’s Virtual Media Day.

Missouri Southern went 23-8 overall and finished third in the MIAA regular season standings last year, falling 78-76 to Northwest Missouri in the MIAA Tournament’s championship game. 

The Lions had qualified for the NCAA Tournament before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s safe to say the Lions are ready to make up for lost time. 

“We’re just excited to play,” Lions coach Jeff Boschee said during Tuesday’s virtual press conference. “All of our guys have been through a lot, from getting their season cut short last year and then dealing with the uncertainty of what was going to happen this season. Not being able to start practice for a month and not being able to use our gym…the guys are just ready to play. We don’t care where we play. Whether we’re home or away, we’re going to have fun with it and treat everything as a challenge and go get it. I’m interested to see how we do against other guys.” 

Northwest Missouri was picked first in the poll with 169 points and 13 first-place votes. The Lions were second with 147 points and one first-place vote, followed by Washburn at No. 3, Rogers State at No. 4 and Missouri Western at No. 5. Central Oklahoma was sixth, followed by Fort Hays State and Pittsburg State at seventh. Lincoln, Nebraska-Kearney, Central Missouri, Emporia State, Northeastern State and Newman round out the coaches poll. 

The Lions return five players from last year’s team. Leading the way is All-MIAA, All-Region and All-American Cam Martin. 

A 6-foot-9 senior forward, Martin was a finalist for the Bevo Francis Small College Basketball Player of the Year Award after averaging 24.1 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, while shooting 58 percent from the field and 81 percent from the free throw line. 

He set the MSSU single-game scoring record with 54 points at Missouri Western and became the only player in Lions’ history to score 700 or more points in a season twice.

“His play speaks for itself,” Boschee said. “He’s going to score. He’s going to demand double teams. I think the leadership part of it and the defensive side of things is where he needs to make a bigger jump than where he was last year. 

“I think the biggest thing where he needs to improve is on the defensive side,” Boschee added. “He gets tentative defensively because he doesn’t want to pick up cheap fouls. He’s got to better in pick and roll situations. He’s got to be a more vocal leader and hold people accountable on our team, especially with so many new guys.” 

Sophomore Winston Dessesow, sophomore Kyle Younge, senior Stan Scott and junior Christian Bundy are MSSU’s other returning players. Martin Macenis and Tyriqe Jackson both practiced with the Lions last season but utilized a redshirt season and have all four years of eligibility remaining.

RJ Smith is a transfer from Sam Houston State that brings size (6-5, 215) to the lineup, as well as experience. A senior, Smith started in all 31 games a season ago for the Bearkats and averaged 7.7 points and 4.5 rebounds. Junior Yagizhan Selcuk (6-8) comes to Southern from Division I Montana, where he played in 11 games as a sophomore, averaging 2.5 points and 1.1 rebounds.

Freshmen Keryn Collins, Lawson Jenkins, Jalen Parker and Avery Taggard round out the roster. 

Missouri Southern Southern will open up the 2020-21 season with a trip to Central Oklahoma on November 19 at 7:30 p.m. The team’s home opener is set for December 3 at 7:30 p.m. against Northeastern State.

“We’re just excited to be getting close to starting,” Boschee said. “With everything that happened last year, it was tough to stay goodbye to our guys. I’m excited about this group.”

 

2020-2021 MIAA Men’s Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll

1. Northwest Missouri (13) – 169 points
2. Missouri Southern (1) – 147 points
3. Washburn – 140 points
4. Rogers State – 123 points
5. Missouri Western – 122 points
6. Central Oklahoma – 106 points

T7. Fort Hays State – 75 points

T7. Pittsburg State – 75 points

9. Lincoln – 67 points
10. Nebraska Kearney – 64 points
11. Central Missouri – 60 points
12. Emporia State – 56 points
13. Northeastern State – 55 points
14. Newman – 17 points