Photo by Jake McNeill: Southwest Minnesota State University forward Aaron Stevens (0) drives toward the basket against a defender during a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference game against Concordia-St. Paul on Dec. 7 at the R/A Facility in Marshall. SMSU was ranked ninth in the National Association of Basketball Coaches’ Division II preseason poll.

ROLLA, Mo. – The Southwest Minnesota State University men’s basketball team is ranked No. 9 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Top 25 preseason poll released on Tuesday.

The No. 9 preseason ranking is the highest for the Mustang program in the NABC poll since being ranked No. 9 on March 3, 2009. SMSU was ranked in the NABC Top 25 poll eight times during the 2024-25 season, including a season-best No. 13 on Jan. 28, 2025.

SMSU returns 10 letter winners and four starters from last season’s 21-9 team that won a share of the NSIC regular season championship with a record of 16-6. It was the third regular season championship (2001, 2009, 2025) in team history along with two division championships (2017, 2018). The team also advanced to the NCAA tournament for the second straight season and seventh in team history.

The Mustangs also have Dawson-Boyd’s Brayson Boike and Drew Hjelmeland joining the roster as freshmen this year after leading the Blackjacks to a Class A state title last season.

SMSU head coach Brad Bigler, a two-time NSIC Coach of the Year and the program’s all-time leader in victories, begins his 17th season with a career record of 261-199. During his time as head coach, SMSU has made five NCAA tournament appearances, won one NSIC regular season title, two NSIC South Division championships, a pair of NSIC tournament championships and has played in five NSIC tournament championship games.

The Mustangs opens the regular season on Nov. 15-16 competing at MIAA/NSIC Challenge in Hays, Kan., and will face both Fort Hays State and Nebraska-Kearney.

SMSU opens Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play at the University of Sioux Falls on Nov. 25 and will open its 12-game home schedule on Dec. 6 versus Wayne State.