DULUTH — The 2023-2024 winter sports season kicks off for UMD athletics on Friday, Nov. 10 with the men’s basketball team traveling to Shawnee, Oklahoma for the Great American Conference/Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Crossover Classic tournament.
After two exhibitions, the women’s basketball team opens its Division II season on Saturday, Nov. 11 in Hammond, Indiana with a matchup against Thomas More University.
Before the start of the season, NSIC coaches cast their vote in a preseason poll, trying to predict who will finish atop the league standings. Coaches are prohibited from voting for their own team. Players to watch are also highlighted by the league.
Below you will find where both UMD basketball teams are slated to finish in the NSIC based on the preseason polls, along with players to watch.
Coming off of a historic run to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight last season, the Bulldogs are projected to pick up right where they left off after being picked to finish first out of 15 teams this coming season with 195 points and 13 first-place votes. UMD returns all five starters for this season, along with multiple contributors off the bench.
Rounding out the top three in the preseason poll are Minnesota State Mankato, which received two first-place votes in the poll, followed by Northern State.
Graduate student Drew Blair, who enters his final season just 27 points shy of the program’s all-time career points mark, was named the preseason player of the year in the NSIC after leading the conference in four different statistical categories last season, including points with 718.
The Bulldogs will take on Division III University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in an exhibition on Wednesday, Nov. 1.
Last season’s NCAA Division II runners-up return with high expectations in 2023-2024 after being slotted to place second out of 15 teams in the NSIC with 165 points, including one first-place vote in the preseason poll. Minnesota State Mankato, which UMD defeated in the 2023 NSIC tournament championship game in Sioux Falls and again in the NCAA Midwest Regional semifinal, topped the preseason list with 196 points and 14 first-place votes as the prohibitive favorite.
Senior guard Ella Gilbertson earned the distinction of being UMD’s preseason player to watch this season after an impressive junior campaign in which she finished second on the team behind Brooke Olson in points (333) and points per game (10.4). Gilbertson also led the Bulldogs in 3-point field goal percentage at .400.
UMD will take the court at Romano Gym on Sunday, Oct. 22 for its first exhibition game against Lakehead University. After a second exhibition on Wednesday, Nov. 1 at South Dakota State University, the Bulldogs will open their regular season schedule on Sunday, Nov. 11 in Hammond, Indiana with a game against Thomas More University.
Terry Norton / UMD Athletics
Jake Przytarski is a sports reporter for the Duluth News Tribune covering a mix of local prep and collegiate teams.
