NSAA Preseason Basketball Poll(s) Released

BISMARCK, ND (PlayNorthStar.com) [WBB] – The North Star Athletic Association women’s basketball head coaches had voted Dakota State (S.D.) unanimously to win the 2024-25 conference title, the conference women’s basketball coaches’ preseason poll was announced Monday.  Coaches were allowed to vote for their own players.

The Trojans collected all six first-place votes and 36 points to claim the top spot in the preseason poll.  Dakota State finished their 2023-24 season with an overall record of 28-7, including a trip to the NAIA quarterfinals.

Mayville State (N.D.) tallied 26 points to finish second in the poll.  Both DaSU and MSU shared the North Star conference regular-season title with an 11-1 record each, with the Comets winning their second straight postseason tournament title over the Trojans.  Dakota State had won four consecutive regular-season North Star title.

The Comets advanced to the NAIA’s Round of 16 before falling to the eventual national champion, Dordt (Iowa).  MSU finished 26-4 overall record last season.

Jamestown (N.D.), who is returning to the North Star Athletic Association for the final chapter this season, finished third with 24 points.  The Jimmies finished last season with a 19-13 overall record, including a trip to the NAIA’s Round of 16.

Bellevue (Neb.) was fourth with 18 points, followed by Valley City State (N.D.) fifth with 13 points, and Dickinson State (N.D.) sixth with nine points.  Points are awarded on a 6-1 basis.

Each NSAA member will be playing a total of 15 conference games this season, with each team playing each other three times during the conference season.

The 2024-25 NAIA Women’s Basketball season gets underway on Thursday.

The NSAA conference season begins on the weekend of Dec. 13-15, where MSU and VCSU make their trip to BU and DaSU.  UJ hosts DiSU on Dec. 13 in both teams’ conference season opener.

All six North Star members will compete in the women’s basketball postseason conference tournament.  This year’s conference postseason tournament will be held at the higher seed campus’ sites in each round.  The opening round, in which the top two seeds will get a bye, will get underway on Feb. 26, 2025.  The semifinals are set for Saturday, March 1, 2025, with the championship game being held on Tuesday, March 4, 2025.

The North Star Women’s Basketball Postseason Tournament’s champion will receive an automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament’s Opening Round scheduled for March 14-15, 2025.  The winner of the national tournament’s opening round will advance to the final site in Sioux City, Iowa from March 20-25, 2025.

Here is the complete 2024-25 NSAA Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Preseason Poll:

2024-25 North Star Athletic Association Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll
Rank School Points
1 Dakota State (S.D.) (6) 36
2 Mayville State (N.D.) 26
3 Jamestown (N.D.) 24
4 Bellevue (Neb.) 18
5 Valley City State (N.D.) 13
6 Dickinson State (N.D.) 9
*First-place votes in parenthesis

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BISMARCK, ND (PlayNorthStar.com) [MBB] – Dickinson State (N.D.) edged out both Bellevue (Neb.) and Jamestown (N.D.) by two points in the 2024 North Star Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Preseason Poll, announced by the conference office Monday.

The Blue Hawks collected three first place votes and 29 points to capture the top spot in the conference preseason poll.  BU picked up the other three first place votes and tallied 27 points.  NSAA regular-season champion Bellevue defeated Dickinson State in last year’s postseason tournament’s championship game.

DiSU finished the 2023-24 season with an overall record of 17-13 and tied for third in the conference with a 6-6 record with three other teams.  The Bruins were 15-15 overall record and 8-4 NSAA conference last season and advanced to the NAIA national tournament.

Jamestown, returning to the North Star Athletic Association for the first time since 2017-18 season, finished in a tie for second with Bellevue (27 points).  Dakota State (S.D.) was fourth with 18 points, followed by Mayville State (N.D.) fifth with 16 points, and Valley City State (N.D.) sixth with nine points.

The 2024-25 NAIA Men’s Basketball officially begins their season on Thursday.

The NSAA conference season gets underway on Dec. 13-15, 2024, with Valley City State and Mayville State visiting Bellevue and Dakota State.  Jamestown hosts Dickinson State on Dec. 13 in both teams’ conference season opener.

Each NSAA member will play a total of 15 conference games (each team will play a total of three NSAA conference meetings this season).

All six teams will compete in the North Star Athletic Association basketball postseason tournament.  This year’s conference tournament will be held at the higher seeds’ campus site in each round, starting with the opening round on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2026.  The top two seeds will receive a bye in the opening round and play in the semifinals round which is set for Saturday, March 1, 2025.

The NSAA Men’s Basketball Postseason Tournament championship game is set for Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at the highest remaining seed in the tournament.

The NSAA’s tournament champion will receive an automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament’s Opening Round on March 14-15, 2025.  The winner of the national tournament’s opening round will move on to the final site in the NAIA National Championships, held in Kansas City, Mo. from March 20-25, 2025.

Here is the complete 2024-25 NSAA Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Preseason Poll:

2024-25 North Star Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll
Rank School Points
1 Dickinson State (N.D.) (3) 29
T2 Bellevue (Neb.) (3) 27
T2 Jamestown (N.D.) 27
4 Dakota State (S.D.) 18
5 Mayville State (N.D.) 16
6 Valley City State (N.D.) 9
*First-place votes in parenthesis