Men’s basketball selected sixth in preseason poll

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The Simpson College men's basketball team was selected sixth in the American Rivers Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, as announced on Wednesday.

The Storm return 14 players off of last year's roster, including the club's top three leaders in minutes and points per game. "We are looking forward to another year of competing in the A-R-C," said head coach Brad Bjorkgren. "We have numerous guys that have made a commitment to getting better in the off-season and we are excited to see how well they will play together."

LOOKING BACK AT LAST SEASON

• The Storm began the season 4-0, embarking on a six-game win streak later in the season for an 11-2 mark, the team's best start since the 1997-98 season.
• Simpson eventually wound up finishing seventh in conference play, narrowly missing out on conference tournament action.
• Easton Darling, who led the team with 16.3 points per game, was named to the All-A-R-C First Team, while Andrew Gibb earned honorable mention honors.
• Gibb was also named the NCAA Division III statistical champion in free throw percentage, making 111 of his 119 free throws, including 61 straight, for an overall mark of 93.3 percent.
• Junior forward Caden Rehmeier provided a consistent presence from behind the arc, as evident by his 42.6 percent mark from the three-point line that ranked third in the conference.
• Andrew Curran was the team's leading facilitator, ranking first in assists while also pouring in 12.9 points per game to rank third on the team.

KEY RETURNERS (2022-23 STATS)

• Easton Darling (16.3 PPG, 44.2 FG%, 3.2 RPG)
• Andrew Gibb (14.7 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 93.3 FT%)
• Andrew Curran (12.9 PPG, 3.2 APG, 90.0 FT%)
• Caden Rehmeier (5.2 PPG, 45.8 FG%, 42.6% 3PT%)

2023-24 MEN'S SCHEDULE | 2023-24 MEN'S ROSTER

2023-24 A-R-C MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. Central (18-7, 13-3 A-R-C) - 61 points
2. Loras (17-11, 9-7 A-R-C) - 53 points
3. Coe (16-13, 7-9 A-R-C) - 49 points
4. Dubuque (19-7, 12-4 A-R-C) - 44 points
5. Nebraska Wesleyan (16-10, 11-5 A-R-C) - 43 points
6. Simpson (12-12, 5-11 A-R-C) - 26 points
7. Luther (9-16, 5-11 A-R-C) - 19 points
8. Buena Vista (9-16, 2-14 A-R-C) - 15 points
9. Wartburg (11-15, 8-8 A-R-C) - 14 points