The Northern Colorado women’s basketball team was picked to finish in fifth place in two Big Sky Conference preseason polls, while the Bears men’s team was selected by the coaches and media to finish third and fourth, respectively, in the 2024-25 season.

The preseason polls and all-conference player teams were released late last month by Big Sky. No UNC players were named to the preseason all-conference teams.

The UNC women were ranked fifth by media and coaches polls. The men’s team was selected third by the conference coaches and fourth by the media.

“Every year we climb the same mountain,” UNC women’s coach Kristen Mattio said. “It doesn’t matter if we are picked first, middle or bottom. We tell the team, “Here’s our number,” and we get to work.

Both UNC teams started their seasons with victories in a doubleheader at home Monday night at Bank of Colorado Arena. Big Sky games start in early January.

Northern Arizona’s Sophie Glancy and Trent McLaughlin were chosen as the women’s and men’s most valuable players of the preseason. Glancy, a 6-foot-2 junior forward, was a unanimous first-team All-Big Sky selection and the second-leading scorer at 15.7 points per game last year. McLaughlin, a 6-6 senior guard, was also first-team All-Big Sky last year after averaging 16.6 points.

The Northern Arizona women were picked first in both preseason polls.

The UNC women lost Thursday night at the University of Colorado Boulder. The men were scheduled to face CU in Boulder Friday night in a game that could be a milestone for Buffs coach Tad Boyle. With a win over UNC, Boyle could earn his 300th win at CU. Boyle is a Greeley native, played high school ball at Greeley Central High School and coached UNC from 2006-10 before taking over at CU.

The women’s team returns home Monday at 6 p.m. against the Air Force Academy. The men host Colorado Christian at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Bears men’s coach Steve Smiley said he wasn’t “shocked” by the Big Sky men’s team polls. The same four teams are in the top four in both polls, although in different rankings: Montana, Montana State, UNC and Weber State are first through fourth in the coaches’ poll, respectively; and the media poll comes in first with Montana State, followed by Montana, Weber State and UNC.

Smiley gives a little more weight and consideration to the coaches’ survey, since coaches know more about recruiting and team composition. Smiley said last year he knew the Saint Thomas transfer was going to be one of the best players in the conference, although Thomas was not on a preseason ballot.

“You have to let it happen, and people don’t know that,” Smiley said.

West and Fields: Women’s team returns 2 regular staters

The UNC women finished fifth at the Big Sky last year. The Bears were 10-8 in the conference and 15-16 overall. They were fifth in the conference tournament and lost to No. 4 Montana State in overtime in Boise.

UNC received a general selection in the 48-team women’s NIT. The University of Texas at San Antonio defeated UNC 80-62 in the first round.

Delaynie Byrne and Hannah Simental, the top two scorers from a year ago and all Big Sky players, have both left the Bears program. Byrne completed his eligibility and signed to play professionally in the British Basketball League. Simental earned her bachelor’s degree and chose to transfer to Colorado State for a year of graduate school.

Two regular starters return for the Bears: sophomore forward Tatum West and junior point guard Gabi Fields. Both women started 30 of 31 games last year. West (7.8 points, 4.7 rebounds) was a true freshman. Fields averaged 6 points and 3.0 assists to go with 2.5 turnovers per game.

Also returning is junior Aniah Hall, who was the team’s third-leading scorer behind Byrne and Simental. Hall, a 6-foot-3 forward from Texas, played in 29 games and started five. She was an honorable mention selection by Big Sky after averaging 10 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

“She’s expected to be one of the best players in the Big Sky,” Mattio said.

Wisne, Rillie, Reynolds, Bloch: men’s team has depth and experience

Smiley said he’s looking forward to the game portion of the season for the Bears. The players and coaches have been together — off and on — since June 1, when they began offseason workouts. Smiley said the team had about 63 practices before the first game.

“You need a lot of time when half or more of your list is new,” Smiley said.

While the coach takes the Big Sky preseason polls with enthusiasm, he also said he thinks his guys deserve to be ranked high.

Junior Brock Wisne, a 6-9 forward from Thornton, started all 33 games last year along with top two scorers Thomas and guard DeJour Reaves.

Thomas was a unanimous first-team All-Big Sky selection and the conference’s Newcomer of the Year during a breakout season. He transferred to the University of Southern California. Reaves was named to the second team and was a unanimous choice for the first reserve. He returned to the East Coast to play at Iona.

Wisne was the third-leading scorer (11.7 points) and second-leading rebounder (4.3).

Guard Jaron Rillie, a graduate student who started 28 games and averaged 11 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.6 and 4.6 assists, is also back for one final collegiate season. Rillie was named to the Big Sky honorable mention team after last season.

Junior Langston Reynolds appeared in all 33 games last season, most of which came on the bench. Reynolds, a 6-4 guard from Denver, scored a career-high 21 points in Monday’s opener against Colorado College.

Reynolds led UNC with 14 points while participating in the College Basketball Invitational tournament last season. Cleveland State beat the Bears 51-49 in late March in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Senior guard Zach Bloch also played in all 33 games last season. Bloch made 26 starts and averaged 5.8 points.

Reynolds, Bloch, Wisne and freshman Egan Shields played all or part of their high school basketball years at Colorado Prep in Westminster. Shields is a 6-10 center from Ashland, Oregon. He didn’t play any minutes for UNC last season in his first year with the Bears.

Junior Marcel McCreary also returns for his second year with the Bears. McCreary played the 2022-23 season at the US Air Force Academy. He saw limited time last year, but scored 12 points in 15 minutes against Colorado College.

Smiley said he liked the roster depth and experience at the Division I level. Nine players started and scored in multiple Division I games.

“It’s a little different from previous years, we’re not relying on two or three guys,” Smiley said. “It’s the sum of the parts, and we have options.”