BURNSVILLE, Minn. – Bemidji State University Men's Basketball earned the fifth spot in this season's Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. Along with the fifth-place start, senior forward
John Sutherland was tabbed with BSU's Preseason Player to Watch honor.
In his junior season,
John Sutherland led the Beavers with 559 points, averaging 20 points per game. He led the NSIC with a .573 field goal percentage, tallying 235 field goals made on 410 attempts. Over his three-year career, Sutherland has totaled 1,379 points, 609 rebounds and 215 assists, each statistic etching his name into the BSU All-Time Career record books. Starting his senior season this year, he sits in sixth for points, seventh in rebounds and tenth in assists. Sutherland has been awarded four NSIC Player of the Week honors in his career with the most recent coming on Dec. 4, 2023, after a 43-point, 24 rebound and 11 assist weekend against Minot State University and University of Minnesota Crookston.
"John has proven he is one of the best players in the NSIC over the last few years," said head coach
Mike Boschee. "He is a gifted offensive player who will be counted on in that regard. We will need him to continue to develop and become a more complete player on both ends of the floor for us to reach our potential as a team."
Last season, the Beavers went 13-16 overall with 9-13 in the NSIC. Against all opponents, the Beavers marked 2,214 points and limited teams to 2,113, averaging 76.3 points per game and allowing 72.9. The team led the NSIC in rebounds with 1,139, rebounding margin at 6.3 and total assists with 452.
The Beavers are returning their fourth and fifth best point scorers this season in
Brayden Williams and
Tate Olson. Williams marked 218 points and Olson grabbed 190 during their sophomore campaigns. Defensively, Olson and Williams sat just behind Sutherland for defensive rebounds last season at 118 and 84, respectively. Sophomore
Jobe Juenemann marked the highest three-point shooting percentage with 44.4%, going four-for-nine behind the arch.
"I really like the depth that this team is showing early in the season," said coach Boschee. "We feel like we have more experience, maturity, and leadership. We have a little more athleticism and versatility which will help us in this difficult conference."
2024-25 NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll
- Minnesota state (8) 186
- MSU Moorhead (6) 183
- Minnesota Duluth (1) 172
- Southwest Minnesota State 152
- Bemidji State 121
- Augustana 117
- Sioux Falls 116
- Concordia-St. Paul 105
- St. Cloud State 96
- Minot State 90
- Winona State 84
- Wayne State 57
- Northern State 52
- Minnesota Crookston 24
- University of Mary 20
The defending NCAA Division II National Champions of Minnesota State University, Mankato were selected by the league coaches as the preseason favorite in the NSIC for the 2024-25 season. The Mavericks received 186 points, garnering eight first places votes to sit three points ahead of second place MSU Moorhead. The Dragons had 183 points and six first-place votes. Minnesota Duluth was third with 172 points and the other first place vote.
NSIC coaches rank each team from 1 to 14 with a first-place vote receiving 14 points, second place 13, third place 12, etc. Coaches do not rank their own team or vote for their own players in the preseason poll.
The NSIC regular season championship will be based on the 22-game schedule. Each team will play eight teams twice and another six teams once. An NSIC Champion will be awarded to the team with the highest win percentage in the 22 games played.
The 2024-25 men's basketball season gets underway in late October with non-conference action, while NSIC play begins Tuesday, November 26. The Beavers begin play in just over a week when they travel to the University of Minnesota to compete in an exhibition matchup against the Golden Gophers.
The 12-team NSIC Men's Basketball Tournament Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Championships are set to take place March 1-4 at the Sanford Health Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The top four seeds will receive a first-round bye. First round games will be played on campus on Wednesday, February 26.
For more information on the Bemidji State Men's Basketball program, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on X (@BSUBeaversMBB), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) and like them on Instagram (@BSUBeaversMBB).
Located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men's and women's hockey membership in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
