(Monday, October 20; Sioux Center, Iowa) The Great Plains Athletic Conference has released its 2025-26 preseason men's basketball coaches' poll, and the Defenders are picked third in the 11-team league. Morningside was selected first, followed by Morningside in second.
Dordt won the regular-season title last season with an 18-2 GPAC mark and a 28-4 overall record.
The Defenders return
Connor Millikan (Junior; Springfield, Nebraska) after averaging 11.4 points and 3.2 rebounds.
Jake Hargens (Junior; Greenville, Iowa) scored 8.1 points with 3.6 rebounds, and he made 63 percent of his field goals.
Ty Van Essen (Senior; Sheldon, Iowa) and
Jake Proctor (Junior; Hesston, Kansas) both played in more than 30 games last season, with Van Essen averaging 5.7 points and Proctor adding 5.6 points. Van Essen also made 55 percent of his field goals, including 47 percent success from the 3-point arc.
The Defenders will open the 2025-26 season at home against William Woods (Missouri) and will travel to Olathe, Kansas, on Oct. 30-31 to face Evangel and MidAmerica Nazarene. Dordt begins GPAC play on Nov. 15 at Mount Marty.
Points were awarded on an 11-1 basis, and coaches could not vote for their own teams.
Full GPAC Poll
| RANK |
TEAM |
POINTS |
1st Place Votes |
| 1. |
NORTHWESTERN |
100 |
10 |
| 2. |
MORNINGSIDE |
86 |
|
| 3t. |
CONCORDIA |
78 |
|
| 3t. |
DORDT |
78 |
1 |
| 5. |
MIDLAND |
60 |
|
| 6. |
BRIAR CLIFF |
59 |
|
| 7. |
DAKOTA WESLEYAN |
42 |
|
| 8. |
MOUNT MARTY |
36 |
|
| 9. |
HASTINGS |
33 |
|
| 10. |
DOANE |
23 |
|
| 11. |
WALDORF |
11 |
|
