WICHITA FALLS, Texas - Midwestern State enjoyed a banner campaign under first-year coach Grant McCasland last season as the Mustangs posted a 31-3 record and advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight for the first time in school history.

MSU will start from the No. 13 position according to the Division II Bulletin Preseason Top 25 released Tuesday morning - a mere five spots behind rival Tarleton State at No. 8.

The Mustangs toppled the Texans four times last season en route to their third Lone Star Conference championship in the last four years including a 65-55 win over Tarleton in the title game.

The 31 wins were a new school which bettered the 1973-74 NAIA national runner-up squad's tally of 30 wins.

Defending national champion Cal Poly Pomona tops the preseason poll followed by 2009 champion Findlay (Ohio) while St. Cloud State (Minn.), Indiana (Pa.) and Florida Southern round out the top five.

Also joining the Mustangs and Texans from the South Central Region are No. 18 Central Oklahoma and No. 19 Central Missouri.

Midwestern returns two starters and five letter winners off of last season's squad led by 2010 Sporting News Preseason honorable mention All-American Chris Hagan, who averaged 14.1 points and four assists last season.

Each of the four teams ranked in the Division II Bulletin were tabbed as possible breakthroughs by The Sporting News.


Schedule This: Midwestern State also released its 2010-11 schedule Tuesday which features exhibition contests against NCAA Division I powers Baylor and Purdue.

The Mustangs trek to Waco on Nov. 4 to take on the Big 12's Bears before flying to West Lafayette, Ind. to battle the Big 10 Boilermakers.

MSU opens the regular season with the South Central Region Challenge in Bartlesville by taking on regional qualifying Fort Hays State (Kan.) on Friday, Nov. 12 and Emporia State on Saturday, Nov. 13.

The Mustangs enjoy seven home contests before kicking off Lone Star Conference South Division play at Angelo State on Jan. 12.


Get Your Tickets Here: Season ticket sales for Mustangs Athletic Club members begins on Oct. 18. MAC members must contact the MSU Ticket Office at (940) 397-4779 or come by the MSU Athletic Offices to claim their tickets prior to Nov. 1.

Any MAC member may purchase season reserve tickets beginning Oct. 18 at a 10-percent discount also prior to Nov. 1, while a remaining limited number of reserve tickets become available to the general public on Nov. 2.

Not a MAC member? Contact the MSU Athletic Offices for information on how to join.
   

Division II Bulletin Preseason Top 25
Rank		Team
1		Cal Poly Pomona
2		Findlay (Ohio)
3		St. Cloud State (Minn.)
4		Indiana (Pa.)
5		Florida Southern
6		Bellarmine (Ky.)
7		Bentley (Mass.)
8		Tarleton State (Texas)
9		Grand Valley State (Mich.)
10		St. Joseph's (Ind.)
11		South Carolina-Aiken
12		Rollins (Fla.)
13		Midwestern State (Texas)
14		Seattle Pacific (Wash.)
15		Metropolitan State (Colo.)
16		West Liberty (W. Va.)
17		Merrimack (N.Y.)
18		Central Oklahoma
19		Central Missouri
20		Alabama-Huntsville
21		Drury (Mo.)
22		Virginia Union
23		Philadelphia (Pa.)
24		BYU-Hawaii
25		Mount Olive (N.C.)
Others to watch: Felician (N.J.), Bridgeport (Conn.), Kutztown (Pa.), West Virginia State, Valdosta State (Ga.), Clark Atlanta (Ga.), Arkansas Tech, Montevallo (Ala.), Catawba (N.C.), Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.), Minnesota State-Mankato, Winona State (Minn.), Fort Lewis (Colo.), Humboldt State (Calif.), Stonehill (Mass.), Queens (N.C.), Augustana (S.D.).
The Sporting News D2 Top 10
1		Findlay (Ohio)
2		Bellarmine (Ky.)
3		Grand Valley State (Mich.)
4		Arkansas Tech
5		Cal Poly Pomona
6		Indiana (Pa.)
7		Seattle Pacific (Wash.)
8		West Liberty (W. Va.)
9		Winona State (Minn.)
10		Bentley (Mass.)
Possible breakthroughs: Alabama-Huntsville, Anderson (S.C.), Augustana (S.D.), Bloomfield (N.J.), BYU-Hawaii, Central Missouri, Central Oklahoma, Drury (Mo.), Felician (N.J.), Ferris State (Mich.), Florida Southern, Fort Lewis (Colo.), Geogia College & State, Hillsdale (Mich.), Humboldt State (Calif.), Kentucky Wesleyan, Lynn (Fla.), Mary (N.D.), Metro State (Colo.), Midwestern State (Texas), Minnesota State-Mankato, Montevallo (Ala.), Mount Olive (N.C.), Philadephia (Pa.), Queens (N.C.), Rollins (Fla.), St. Cloud State (Minn.), Southern Indiana, Stonehill (Mass.), Tarleton State, South Carolina-Aiken, West Virginia State.
Sporting News Preseason All-Americans
First Team: Chris Banchero (Seattle Pacific), Gage Daye (Bloomfield), Justin Keenan (Ferris State), Darryl Webb (Indiana), Dauntae Williams (Central Oklahoma).
Second Team: Jet Chang (BYU-Hawaii), LaMarshall Corbett (Angelo State), Chris Hall (Lynn), Justin Ringler (Grand Valley State), Nick Wolf (Rollins).
Honorable Mention: Darius Adams (Indianpolis), Daniel Bailey (Queens), Thomas Baudinet (St. Anselm), D.J. Blackmon (Lenoir-Rhyne), Donnelle Booker (Cal Poly Pomona), Simel Boyd (Francis Marion), Sharif Bray (Cheyney), Justin Brock (Quincy), Tyler Bullock (Nebraska-Omaha), Kyle Caiola (Findlay), Rashad Callaway (Tampa), D'Mario Curry (Lincoln Memorial), Byron Faison (USC-Aiken), Chris Hagan (Midwestern State), Alex Hall (Drury), Braydon Hobbs (Bellarmine), Marquel Hoskins (San Francisco State), Nathan Hyde (Findlay), Dominique Jones (Fort Hays State), Jeremy Kendle (Bellarmine), DeAndre Lansdowne (Fort Lewis), Jefferson Mason (Minnesota State-Mankato), Darin Mency (Merrimack), Josh Miller (W. Va. State), Anthony Moody (Mary), Brian Morris (Humboldt State), Donte Nicholas (Metro State), Corey Pelle (West Liberty), Blake Poole (Saint Martin's), Cody Schilling (Augustana), Justin Swidowski (Holy Family), Brian Tracey (Bentley), Anthony Tucker (Winona State), Marques Whippy (BYU-Hawaii), Taylor Witt (St. Cloud State), Chris Woods (Pfeiffer).