MINOT, N.D. – The Minot State men's basketball team opens the 2026-27 season in Hawaii in two weeks, and when the season tips off, the Beavers will look to exceed the expectations of their conference rivals.
The NSIC announced the 2026-27 Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll on Friday, and Minot State was picked to be an underdog by the league's coaches, who picked the Beavers to tie for 6
th in the North Division with Minnesota Crookston, and picked Minot State to tie for 14
th overall in the NSIC with the Golden Eagles.
Minot State received 17 points in the North Division poll and 42 points in the overall poll.
"Our locker room is really good; our work ethic is exciting to watch," second-year Beaver head coach
Randall Herbst said. "We have some depth, we have some versatility, can play big, can play small. We'll see what happens."
Minot State opens the season on Friday, October 30, playing Adelphi (N.Y.) in Honolulu, Hawaii, at the Hawaii Tip-Off Classic.
Reigning North Division champ Minnesota Duluth was picked to repeat as Division champ with 7-of-8 first-place votes and 49 points, while Minnesota State Moorhead was picked second in the North with 1 first-place vote and 42 points.
Reigning NSIC champion St. Cloud State and 2024-25 National Champion Minnesota State were picked to tie for first in the South Division, with the Huskies collecting 4 first-place votes and 45 points, and the Mavericks earning 3 first-place votes and 45 points.
Minnesota State was picked to win the overall NSIC title with 8 first-place votes and 216 points, with St. Cloud State picked second with 6 first-place votes and 211 points. Minnesota Duluth was picked third overall with 1 first-place vote and 195 points.
Southwest Minnesota State was picked fourth overall in the NSIC standings with 170 points, followed by Concordia-St. Paul in fifth with 153 points, then Augustana, which tied with Winona State at sixth, both with 144 points. The Vikings also received 1 first-place vote.
Minnesota State Moorhead was picked eighth with 140 points, Bemidji State was picked ninth with 106 points, Northern State was picked 10
th with 98 points, Sioux Falls was picked 11
th with 95 points, Wayne State was picked 12
th with 77 points, Jamestown was picked 13
th with 68 points, Minot State and Minnesota Crookston tied for the 14
th spot, each with 42 points, and Mary was picked 16
th with 19 points.
In the North Division poll, Minnesota Duluth and Minnesota State Moorhead were one and two, followed by Northern State in third with 35 points, Bemidji State in fourth with 33 points, Jamestown in fifth with 24 points, then Minnesota Crookston and Minot State, who shared sixth with 17 points, and Mary in eighth with 7 points.
The NSIC also announced its Preseason Players of the Year and a Player to Watch for each team, and Minot State's 6-foot-5 senior guard,
Sean De Kovachich, was highlighted as the Beavers' Player to Watch.
De Kovachich averaged 15.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game and added 4 assists and 6 steals through 5 games last season before being sidelined with an injury.
"Sean is a versatile, long athlete who can play multiple positions," Herbst said. "He impacts the game on both ends of the floor. He had a great start last year, then had a season-ending injury. He is coming back with a drive and passion for success."
Minnesota Duluth's 6-3 redshirt-senior guard Caleb Siwek was named the North Division Preseason Player of the Year, and St. Cloud State's 6-8 senior guard Wyatt Hawks was named the South Division Preseason Player of the Year.
Siwek was last year's North Division Preseason Player of the Year, as well, and the 2026-27 NSIC Tournament MVP. He averaged 15.6 points and 1.97 assists per game last season.
Hawks was a 2nd Team All-Central Region performer and the 2026-27 NSIC Defensive Player of the Year. He averaged 12.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 2.3 blocks per game last season.
NSIC 2026-27 Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Rank |
Team (First-place votes in parentheses) |
Points |
| 1 |
Minnesota State (8) |
216 |
| 2 |
St. Cloud State (6) |
211 |
| 3 |
Minnesota Duluth (1) |
195 |
| 4 |
Southwest Minnesota State |
170 |
| 5 |
Concordia-St. Paul |
153 |
| t6 |
Augustana (1) |
144 |
| t6 |
Winona State |
144 |
| 8 |
Minnesota State Moorhead |
140 |
| 9 |
Bemidji State |
106 |
| 10 |
Northern State |
98 |
| 11 |
Sioux Falls |
95 |
| 12 |
Wayne State |
77 |
| 13 |
Jamestown |
68 |
| t14 |
Minot State |
42 |
| t14 |
Minnesota Crookston |
42 |
| 16 |
Mary |
19 |
South Division Poll
| Rank |
Team (First-place votes in parentheses) |
Points |
| t1 |
St. Cloud State (4) |
45 |
| t1 |
Minnesota State (3) |
45 |
| 3 |
Southwest Minnesota State |
33 |
| 4 |
Winona State |
28 |
| 5 |
Concordia-St. Paul |
25 |
| 6 |
Augustana (1) |
22 |
| 7 |
Sioux Falls |
16 |
| 8 |
Wayne State |
10 |
North Division Poll
| Rank |
Team (First-place votes in parentheses) |
Points |
| 1 |
Minnesota Duluth (7) |
49 |
| 2 |
Minnesota State Moorhead (1) |
42 |
| 3 |
Northern State |
35 |
| 4 |
Bemidji State |
33 |
| 5 |
Jamestown |
24 |
| 6 |
Minot State |
17 |
| 7 |
Minnesota Crookston |
17 |
| 8 |
Mary |
7 |
