HUDSONVILLE, Mich. – The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) has released the preseason coaches' poll ahead of the 2022-23 season. The Trine University men's basketball team was voted to place second in the conference this season.
The Hope College Flying Dutch were chosen to repeat as MIAA regular season champions with seven points and seven first-place votes. The Thunder were next in line with 15 points and snagged the remaining first-place vote. Calvin University was in third with 17 points and Albion College fourth at 25 points in the poll.
Trine held a record of 18-9 overall last season and were 10-4 in MIAA play. The Thunder handed the Flying Dutch one of their two losses in-conference with an 82-75 victory inside the MTI Center on February 9, 2022. Senior Connor Jones led returning players with 11 points in that matchup.
In conference affairs, Trine outscored their opponents by an average margin of 13.1 points per game in 2021-22. The Thunder forced 275 turnovers while only giving up the ball 170 times themselves in the 14 MIAA games. The defense kept league opponents to 29.9% shooting from three last season.
Trine opens the regular season on Tuesday, November 8 with a home game versus Manchester University. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. following the conclusion of the women's basketball game at 5:30 p.m. The conference slate kicks off in January of 2023 when the Thunder host Hope on January 4.