FARMINGTON, Utah - The Big Sky Conference released the results of the 2021-22 Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' and Media Polls and the Southern Utah Thunderbirds were picked to win the conference in both polls.
"It is an honor to be recognized as the top program in such a talented conference," head coach Todd Simon said. "It is a tribute to the hard work of our staff and our student-athletes, but it is only for fun and on paper at this stage. We have championship-level expectations and will need to be at that standard every day."
This is the first time since Southern Utah joined the Big Sky in 2012 that they have been picked at the top of both polls. It is their highest preseason ranking since the 2019-20 season when they were picked fourth in the coaches' poll and fifth in the media poll.
In the coaches' poll, Southern Utah earned 98 points with eight first place votes. In the media poll, the T-Birds earned 324 points and 23 first place votes.
Weber State finished in second, Montana State finished in third, and Montana finished in fourth in both polls. Northern Colorado rounded out the top five.
The Thunderbirds are coming off of their first Big Sky Regular Season Championship ever, as they were crowned champions of the 2020-21 season after finishing conference play with a 12-2 record. Their .857 winning percentage against Big Sky teams blew out their previous high of .450 from the season before and their overall winning percentage of .864 was the highest in Southern Utah's Division I history.
The 2020-21 edition of the Thunderbirds finished the regular season with the best scoring offense in the Big Sky, averaging 84.2 points per game. That was the third-highest mark in the NCAA, behind only Colgate and Gonzaga.
They also had the highest scoring margin (+15.8), rebounding margin (+9.0), and finished first in the Big Sky in defensive rebounds (28.5) and three-point field goals per game (8.9).
The Thunderbirds will open the 2021-22 season on November 9 at home against Bethesda College.
ICYMI
Head coach Todd Simon recently announced two new additions and two promotions on his coaching staff.
The Thunderbirds' full schedule was released with the road to their Big Sky title defense beginning on November 9.
Head coach Todd Simon signed a contract extension keeping him in Cedar City through the 2026-27 season.
Tickets
Southern Utah men's basketball season tickets can now be purchased for the 2021-22 season at tbirdtickets.com or at the America First Event Center box office. Single game tickets will go on sale on October 25.
Individual and group tickets for the 2021 Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off are now available to purchase through fortmyerstipoff.com/tickets or by calling (239) 481-4849. The Thunderbirds will be competing in the Palms Division of the tournament on November 23 and 24 in Fort Myers, Florida.
Follow Us
Stay up to date during the 2021-22 Southern Utah Men's Basketball season by following @SUUBasketball on Twitter and Instagram and by liking the Southern Utah Basketball page on Facebook.
2021-22 Big Sky Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
|
Rank
|
Team
|
Points (First Place Votes)
|
|
1
|
Southern Utah
|
98 (8)
|
|
2
|
Weber State
|
91 (2)
|
|
3
|
Montana State
|
81 (1)
|
|
4
|
Montana
|
71
|
|
5
|
Northern Colorado
|
68
|
|
6
|
Idaho State
|
56
|
|
7
|
Portland State
|
40
|
|
8
|
Eastern Washington
|
37
|
|
9
|
Northern Arizona
|
28
|
|
10
|
Sacramento State
|
25
|
|
11
|
Idaho
|
10
|
2021-22 Big Sky Men's Basketball Preseason Media Poll
|
Rank
|
Team
|
Points (First Place Votes)
|
|
1
|
Southern Utah
|
324 (23)
|
|
2
|
Weber State
|
290 (5)
|
|
3
|
Montana State
|
264 (1)
|
|
4
|
Montana
|
217
|
|
5
|
Northern Colorado
|
212
|
|
6
|
Idaho State
|
181
|
|
7
|
Eastern Washington
|
142
|
|
8
|
Portland State
|
116
|
|
9
|
Sacramento State
|
110
|
|
10
|
Northern Arizona
|
85
|
|
11
|
Idaho
|
38
|
