SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – With just under a month until the start of the 2022-23 season, The Summit League has announced the annual preseason poll on Tuesday, selected by the league coaches, sports information directors and media. Oral Roberts was tabbed as the conference favorite, while North Dakota was picked 10th.

South Dakota State and South Dakota were selected second and third, respectively, with all the top-three spots having at least one first-place vote.

Head Coach Paul Sather enters his fourth season with the Fighting Hawks, after helping UND navigate an ever-changing schedule last season with a record of 6-25 overall and 2-16 in Summit League play. North Dakota battled its way back from deficits in most games and of the 25 losses, 12 of them came by 10 points or less.

UND welcomes back eight returners in Brady Danielson, Reid Grant, A'Jahni Levias, Brian Mathews, Caleb Nero, Matt Norman, Mitchell Sueker and Tsotne Tsartsidze.

Danielson has played in more games in a North Dakota uniform than anyone else on the active roster, with 88 appearances as a Fighting Hawk. Last season, Danielson worked his way into the starting lineup and played in 30 games with 16 starts. He could be considered a defensive specialist, leading the team with a team-high 15 charges drawn in 2021-22. Danielson averaged 4.6 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game last year.

Grant saw action in 28 contests last season and was the first sub off the bench on eight occasions to lead UND in that category. He finished the year second in total assists on the team with 56, while tying for second on the team in offensive fouls drawn with 10. Grant poured in 53 points on the year.

Levias returns to the team after redshirting last year. Prior to UND, he spent the 2020-21 season at Central Wyoming College, leading the Rustlers in nearly every category, averaging 17.6 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game. He was one of only two freshmen to be named to the All-Region Second Team and reached double figures in all but three games.

Mathews battled injuries in 2021-22 and looks to be in full health coming into the year. Last year, he appeared in all 31 games and made one start. Mathews finished the year with three double-digit scoring performances, highlighted by a season-high 17 points vs. North Central.

After missing a portion of last season with an injury, Nero returns to the team after appearing in 21 games with nine starts. He finished the year with the third-best free throw percentage on the team at 80.6 percent (25-of-31). Nero averaged 7.5 points per game and was eight-of-nine at the charity stripe in single-digit games with under five minutes to go.

Norman appeared in 30 games with 21 starts last year, starting the final 17 games of the season. He averaged 9.1 points per game and led the team in free throw percentage, hitting at 83.0 percent (44-of-53). He was second on the team in total points scored with 274 and piled up 12 double-digit performances to go with four 20-point games.

Sueker is healthy coming into the season after missing over half the season with an injury in 2021-22. Even with the injury, Sueker finished with seven double-digit scoring performances last year and was second on the team in average points per game with 9.9. He also sat seventh on the team in total points scored with 149.

Tsartsidze appeared in all 31 games with 30 starts last season, averaging 7.9 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game. He put in 10 double-digit scoring outputs throughout the season and finished the season ranked No. 14 in the Summit League in total rebounds with 164. He led UND in traditional three-point plays with six and was second on the team in both total rebounds (164) and rebounds per game (5.3).

One transfer in Jalun Trent (Cochise College) is on the 2022-23 roster, while five freshmen will be joining this year's squad in Elijah Brooks (2021-22 Mr. Basketball - Kansas), Treysen Eaglestaff (2021-22 Mr. Basketball - North Dakota), Daniel Hong, Brady Nicholson and B.J. Omot (2021-22 Mr. Basketball - Minnesota Nominee).

North Dakota will host Waldorf in an exhibition inside the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center at 7 p.m. (CT) on Halloween Night. The Fighting Hawks will officially kickoff the 2022-23 season on Monday, Nov. 7 at 7:30 p.m. (CT) at Incarnate Word.
 
Preseason Poll
1.   Oral Roberts (28) | 731
2.   South Dakota State (11) | 668
3.   South Dakota (1) | 602
4.   North Dakota State | 549
5.   Denver | 432
6.   Kansas City | 310
7.   Western Illinois | 294
8.   St. Thomas | 289
9.   Omaha | 279
10. North Dakota | 174 

Preseason Player of the Year
Max Abmas, Oral Roberts

First Team
Max Abmas, Oral Roberts
Luke Appel, South Dakota State
Frankie Fidler, Omaha
Trenton Massner, Western Illinois
Zeke Mayo, South Dakota State
Grant Nelson, North Dakota State

Second Team
Mason Archambault, South Dakota
Issac McBride, Oral Roberts
Kruz Perrott-Hunt, South Dakota
A.J. Plitzuweit, South Dakota
Tevin Smith, Denver