By: Burke De Boer Sports Editor
The GNAC preseason basketball polls have hit, and coaches in the conference don’t see Wolves repeating last year’s success.
The polls rank the men’s team sixth place. The GNAC is comprised of only 11 teams, placing the basketball team in the middle of the pack.
This could be considered a surprise for the team, as it is coming off its most successful year in history.
The 2015-2016 campaign saw the Wolves be crowned GNAC regular seasons champions with a record of 31-4. And, while playoffs are notorious for unseating favorites and crowning underdogs, the Wolves proved themselves best and became GNAC tournament champions too.
Then they won the NCAA west regional bracket.
They advanced all the way to the final four of Division II’s tournament before losing to Augustana. Augustana would later be crowned Division II champs. This lead to being ranked third in the nation by way of bracket, and sixth in the nation in the end-of-season coaches’ poll.
Coming into this season, coaches seem less sure. Sixth out of the 11 that are in the conference is a lot less impressive than sixth out of the 306 schools in NCAA Division II.
The big reason for this is the turnaround of talent. Tanner Omlid is the team’s only returning starter.
Last year was Omlid’s first season with Western, after transferring from Division I Army. A Monmouth native, Omlid came home last year and became the team’s best shooter.
Now beginning his junior year, Omlid has been unanimously voted to the preseason All-GNAC team.
Like Omlid, head coach Jim Shaw was in his first year at Western last year, and also returns this year.
Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu
