KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) released the 2022-23 Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Preseason Poll today. The Montana Tech Orediggers are ranked in the preseason poll at No. 23.
This is the first time the Orediggers have appeared in the Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll. Tech was ranked No. 14 in the postseason poll release at the conclusion of last season. The Orediggers finished 27-7 last year received the Frontier Conference automatic bid into the NAIA National Championship Tournament for the first time since 1999. Tech reached the second round of the NAIA Opening Rounds hosted at various campus sites before the final site.
Carroll College is the only other Frontier Conference school in the preseason poll. The Saints are ranked No. 16 after their No. 8 ranking in the postseason top 25.
Arizona Christian received 15 first place votes and moved up from their postseason ranking to the top spot. The Orediggers face the Arizona Christian Firestorm on November 25th in Phoenix, Arizona. Tech will also rematch SAGU (Texas) on the same trip. SAGU knocked the Orediggers out of the NAIA National Championship Tournament last year. SAGU was dropped from the top 25 in the preseason poll.
Montana Tech hosts Lewis-Clark State, who is receiving votes in the preseason poll, on November 18th on Kelvin Sampson Court part of the Montana Tech Fall Classic.
The Orediggers 2022-23 season starts this Saturday at the HPER Complex. Montana Tech hosts Portland Bible College for the first game of the season.
