St. Paul, MN -- The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) released the 2025-26 Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll on Thursday, with the NCU Men's Basketball team picked to finish first for the first time in program history. The poll is voted on by all the head coaches in the conference. Coaches cannot vote for their own team.

2025-26 UMAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll

        1. North Central | 33 (5)
        2. Northwestern | 30 (1)
        3. Bethany Lutheran | 27 (1)
        4. UW-Superior | 18
        5. Martin Luther | 17
        6. Minnesota Morris | 16
        7. Crown | 7

Top Returners
Carrington McNeal, Sr., G | UMAC All-Conference First Team | UMAC All-Defensive Team | 14.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.0 SPG
Carmello McNeal, Sr., G | UMAC All-Conference Honorable Mention | 12.3 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.0 APG
Remy Wedgeworth-Brown, Sr., G | UMAC All-Conference Honorable Mention | 8.4 PPG, 3.5 APG, 40% 3PT FG%

The North Central University (NCU) men's basketball program has officially announced its 2025–26 season schedule. Under the direction of fourth-year head coach Jeremy Becker, the Rams are set for an action-packed campaign that includes 10 home games inside Clark-Danielson Gymnasium and multiple high-level regional matchups across the Midwest. Click to see the men's FULL SCHEDULE. 

The Rams open their season on Saturday, November 8, when they host Bethel University in Minneapolis for their home opener. NCU remains home for another MIAC matchup against Hamline University on Wednesday, November 12, before heading on the road for five straight games beginning with Saint Mary's University (Nov. 15) and Carleton College (Nov. 19). That road stretch continues at the Bruce Wilson Shootout hosted in Indianola, Iowa, where NCU will face Wisconsin–Eau Claire (Nov. 21) and a TBD opponent the following day. The Rams return to Clark-Danielson Gymnasium on November 25 to host Concordia College-Moorhead, closing out their early non-conference home stand. December brings a rigorous test of competition, featuring a trio of WIAC opponents: UW-River Falls (Dec. 3), UW-Stevens Point (Dec. 6), and UW-Stout (Dec. 10), with an exhibition stop at Southwest Minnesota State (Dec. 8) in between. NCU rounds out the month with a home matchup versus Buena Vista University (Dec. 16) and then travels to St. Paul to face the University of St. Thomas (Dec. 28) in another exhibition. The Rams close out the calendar year at the Nicolet National Bank Holiday Tournament in De Pere, Wisconsin, on December 29-30, where they'll take on Wisconsin-La Crosse and one additional opponent.

Conference action tips off on Wednesday, January 7, when the Rams host the University of Wisconsin-Superior, followed by a home clash against the University of Northwestern (MN) on January 10. The first UMAC road trip of the season includes stops at Minnesota Morris (Jan. 14) and Crown College (Jan. 17), before continuing to Bethany Lutheran (Jan. 24). The Rams return home to face Martin Luther College (Jan. 28) before heading north again to meet Wisconsin-Superior (Jan. 31). February brings a balanced mix of home and away matchups, as NCU hosts Crown (Feb. 7) and Minnesota Morris (Feb. 11) before road games at Northwestern (Feb. 14) and Martin Luther (Feb. 18).

With continued growth under Coach Becker's leadership, the Rams will look to make a strong push toward postseason play in 2026. The UMAC Men's Basketball Tournament will begin with the semifinals on February 25 and the championship game on February 28. If North Central does not qualify for NCAA postseason play, they set their sights on the NCCAA North Regional Tournament in Ellendale, North Dakota (March 2), and potentially compete for a back-to-back NCCAA DII National Championship at Clark-Danielson Gymnasium in Minneapolis beginning March 11.

All fans are encouraged to tune into the official Rams Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (X) pages for updates on men's basketball and all things NCU Athletics.