Contact: Lou Groce, Director of Media and Information, 920-229-8157

GRINNELL, Iowa – St. Norbert College, the two-time defending Midwest Conference champions, and Ripon College have been picked to tie atop the Midwest Conference standings in the Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll. 

The Green Knights and the Red Hawks were the only teams to receive a first place vote and both earned 94 points apiece to top the poll.  St. Norbert, who went a perfect 18-0 last season in MWC play, received six first place votes, while Ripon earned five. 

Grinnell College came in third place with 84 points.  Nine of the Pioneers’ ten votes came in either second or third place.  Carroll University finished in fourth with 69 points.  In 2014, St. Norbert, Grinnell, Ripon, and Carroll all qualified for the four-team Midwest Conference Tournament and all are expected to return in 2015. 

Lawrence University was picked to finish fifth again in 2015 after earning 56 points.  Lake Forest College is expected to improve on its 7-11 MWC campaign last year and finish sixth with 55 points. 

Monmouth College (51 points) checks in at No. 7 in the poll, while Beloit College was selected eighth (41).  Cornell College is expected to finish ninth (28), while Illinois College (21) and Knox College (11) completed the poll in 10^th and 11^th, respectively.