KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State Men’s Basketball was selected seventh in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll, released on Friday (Oct. 20). FHSU is coming off a tie for fourth place in the MIAA last year, a season that saw the Tigers go 18-11 overall.
Fort Hays State’s lone All-MIAA selection returning this year is Hadley Gillum, who averaged 13.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last year as a junior. The native of Plainville, Kansas is the only senior on this year’s team. Even with the youth of the team, three of five starters from last year return. That group includes Gillum, Trey O’Neil, and Kyler Kinnamon. O’Neil buried 46 3-point field goals, while Kinnamon led the team in assists at 3.3 per game.
The Tigers lost two of three All-MIAA performers from last year, seeing the exit of seniors Rob Davis and JaQuan Smith. One of the best scorers of the ball in school history, Davis earned All-MIAA First Team and All-America honors, averaging 21.4 points per game. Smith averaged 7.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game in the post and was a member of the MIAA All-Defensive Team.
The top scorer off the bench last year, Brady Werth, returns in the post after averaging 6.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. Aaron Nicholson and Grant Holmes played in a reserve role last year, each averaging more than 10 minutes per game on the floor.
The Tigers added four new players this year, including three transfers and a true freshman. Junior college transfers include Marcus Cooper, KeShawn Wilson, and Calvin Harrington, while Nyjee Wright is the only true freshman. They join redshirt freshmen Jared Vitztum and Isaiah Nunnery, both local products, as players looking to make an impact in their first year on the floor at FHSU.
Mark Johnson enters his 17th year guiding the Tigers. He has an overall record of 322-149, the all-time wins leader at FHSU. Johnson has led the Tigers to seven NCAA Tournament appearances.
Fort Hays State has a pair of exhibitions against NCAA Division I opponents Kansas State and Kansas before starting the regular season on November 10. The exhibition at Kansas State is on Sunday, October 29, and the exhibition at Kansas is on Tuesday, November 7.
Defending national champion Northwest Missouri State is picked as the favorite once again. The Bearcats have won four consecutive MIAA Regular Season titles.
Below is the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll for 2017-18.
2017-18 MIAA Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Northwest Missouri (13) 169 points
2. Central Missouri 145 points
3. Washburn (1) 144 points
4. Nebraska Kearney 124 points
5. Central Oklahoma 115 points
6. Missouri Southern 112 points
7. Fort Hays State 100 points
8. Pittsburg State 87 points
9. Lindenwood 86 points
10. Emporia State 48 points
11. Lincoln 45 points
12. Northeastern State 41 points
13. Southwest Baptist 40 points
14. Missouri Western 18 points