Contact: Chassidy Holloway, Assistant Executive Director, holloway@midwestconference.org
 
GRINNELL, Iowa – Ripon College has been selected by the league’s head coaches to win the 2021-22 Midwest Conference (MWC) regular-season title in the men’s basketball preseason poll announced today.
 
The Red Hawks received seven first-place votes and 63 points to take the top spot. Ripon has not won a regular season championship since the 1998-99 season. However, they have won two of the last four MWC tournament titles, 2016-17 and 2019-20.
 
Cornell College picked up two first-place votes and 55 points to come in second place, while only one point separated the third and fourth-place spots secured by Illinois College (43) and Lake Forest College (42). Grinnell College picked up 38 points to round out the top-five.
 
Monmouth College placed sixth with 29 points, followed by Lawrence University (25), Knox College (16), and Beloit College (13).
 
The regular season tips off on Friday, November 5, with six of the nine league teams in non-conference action. Lake Forest College will visit Grinnell College on Saturday, November 20 for an early Conference matchup, while the remaining teams open Conference play on Tuesday, November 30.
 
The 2022 MWC Men’s Basketball Tournament is scheduled for the weekend of February 25-26 and will be hosted by the number one seed at the conclusion of the season. The winner of the four-team tournament will receive the league’s automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
 
Full preseason poll results for all nine teams can be found below:
 
2021-22 MWC Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll Results – Team (first-place votes), points
1. Ripon College (7), 63 points
2. Cornell College (2), 55 points
3. Illinois College, 43 points
4. Lake Forest College, 42 points
5. Grinnell College, 38 points
6. Monmouth College, 29 points
7. Lawrence University, 25 points
8. Knox College, 16 points
9. Beloit College, 13 points
 
Beloit College Buccaneers
Head Coach: Josh Hinz (3^rd Season)
2019-20: 8-17 (overall); 6-12 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: N/A
 
Cornell College Rams
Head Coach: Dave Schlabaugh (5^th Season)
2019-20: 14-12 (overall); 9-9 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: N/A
 
Grinnell College Pioneers
Head Coach: David Arseneault Jr. (4^th Season)
2019-20: 13-12 (overall); 9-9 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: N/A

Illinois College Blue Boys
Head Coach: Steve Schweer (4^th Season)
2019-20: 6-19 (overall); 4-14 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: N/A
 
Knox College Prairie Fire
Head Coach: Ben Davis (3^rd Season)
2019-20: 9-16 (overall); 5-13 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: N/A
 
Lake Forest College Foresters
Head Coach: Ryan Davis (1^st Season)
2019-20: 13-13 (overall); 10-8 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: Sean Espinosa (Sr)
 
Lawrence University Vikings
Head Coach: Casey Korn (1^st Season)
2019-20: 11-14 (overall); 7-11 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees:
 
Monmouth College Scots
Head Coach: Todd Skrivseth (11^th Season)
2019-20: 14-11 (overall); 9-9 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: N/A
 
Ripon College Red Hawks
Head Coach: Ryan Kane (10^th Season)
2019-20: 20-8 (overall); 14-4 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: N/A