Northwest Missouri State men's basketball enters the 2025-26 campaign looking to hit the reset button after a turbulent season.
The Bearcats were selected 14th in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll and 11th in the media rankings announced by the league office Monday morning. Washburn topped both polls garnering 13 first-place votes from the coaches and 23 from the media.
Northwest landed on the lower half of the preseason prognostications after a 4-15 MIAA mark in 2025 and missing the conference tournament.
This year's edition of the Bearcats will look much different, however. Only two returners that accumulated minutes during the 2024-25 season are back in juniors Trey Moala and Jack Ratigan. Moala posted 6.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, while Ratigan averaged 6.9 points and 5.7 boards across 28 outings. Larenz Walters and Presley Ibeh each redshirted a year ago. This year's club will also feature eight transfers and three freshmen new to the green and white.
Northwest begins the season October 31 in the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic at the Civic Arena in St. Joseph against Minnesota State.
2025-26 MIAA MEN'S BASKETBALL COACHES POLL
1. Washburn [13] – 169 points
2. Rogers State [1] – 141 points
3. Central Oklahoma – 137 points
4. Fort Hays State – 134 points
5. Pittsburg State – 127 points
6. Nebraska Kearney – 106 points
7. Central Missouri – 102 points
8. Missouri Western – 79 points
9. Northeastern State – 62 points
10. Emporia State – 59 points
11. Newman – 52 points
12. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 41 points
13. Missouri Southern – 35 points
14. Northwest Missouri – 30 points
[#] - First Place Votes
2025-26 MIAA MEN'S BASKETBALL MEDIA POLL
1. Washburn [23] – 346 points
2. Fort Hays State [1] – 297 points
3. Rogers State [1] – 286 points
4. Pittsburg State – 280 points
5. Central Oklahoma – 229 points
6. Nebraska Kearney – 211 points
7. Central Missouri – 186 points
8. Missouri Western – 169 points
9. Emporia State – 159 points
10. Northeastern State – 132 points
11. Northwest Missouri – 108 points
12. Newman – 93 points
13. Missouri Southern – 69 points
14. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 59 points
[#] - First Place Votes
