ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Concordia University men's basketball team has been picked eighth out of 14 teams in the new-look NSIC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll, as released this afternoon by the Northern Sun. NSIC Release

The Golden Bears came in with 103 points in the poll, 13 points behind Southwest Minnesota State, but 27 points ahead of Wayne State. The poll was close at the top, with Minnesota State University, Mankato coming in with 176 total points and seven first place votes, followed closely by Northern State with 169 points and five first place votes with defending Division II champion Winona State in third with 159 points and two first place votes.

After the top three, there is a significant drop-off to Augustana in fourth with 139 points. Only 36 points separate fourth-place Augustana with eighth-place Concordia.

The four new additions to the NSIC were all picked ahead of CU: Minnesota State (1st), Augustana (4th), St. Cloud State (5th) and Minnesota Duluth (6th).

CU is led by Street & Smith's Preseason All-America Honorable Mention forward Craig Heiman (F, 6-5, 230, Jr., Marshall, Wis. / Marshall HS) who led the NSIC in scoring last year as a sophomore with 18.0 points per game, becoming the fourth player in school history to score 500 or more points in a season before finishing with 505, third most in CU history. He was an All-NSIC First Team selection and a three-time NSIC Player of the Week.

The Golden Bears are coming off of four consecutive winning seasons and are 37-20 in two years under head coach Kelly Boe. They have finished in the top four in the NSIC each of the last two years, posting a 13-5 record in 2006-07 and a 10-8 mark in 2007-08.