Original Release

Rochester, MN- 

The 2025-26 Minnesota College Athletic Conference (MCAC) Men's Basketball season is in full swing, with about a month to go before the divisional games begin. The head coaches of each team took time out of their busy schedules to share thoughts on the upcoming conference season.

Fourteen teams are competing in the MCAC again this season, all striving to win their respective division title and qualify for the NJCAA Region 13 Tournament. In the latest NJCAA DIII Men's Basketball Rankings, three MCAC teams are ranked in the top 15 in the nation. Riverland Community College, with its #3 national ranking, remains undefeated on the young season at 8-0. Ridgewater College, at #12 nationally with a 6-1 record, and Anoka-Ramsey Community College, with the #13 ranking and 8-0 record, will make the MCAC South Division incredibly competitive. 

MCAC Men's Basketball has three coaches making their MCAC head coaching debuts this season. Matthew Shonder at Minnesota North College - Vermilion and Blake Peterson at Minnesota North College - Rainy River will compete in the North Division, and Reed Caouette at Anoka-Ramsey Community College will lead his team in the South Division. Veteran coaches with ten or more years of experience in the MCAC are Rick Nikunen at Northland Community and Technical College (34th year), Brian LaPlante at Rochester Community and Technical College (30th season), Jim Russell at Central Lakes College (28th year), Andy Cone at St. Cloud Technical & Community College (15th season), Shannon Roberts at Minnesota North College - Itasca (13th season), and Derek Hahn at Riverland Community College (11th year).

Read here for a brief preview of the 2025-26 MCAC Men's Basketball season.

Be sure to follow @MCACSports and @NJCAABasketball on Twitter for the latest in MCAC and NJCAA two-year college basketball news, rankings, and season information. 

For the MCAC Men's Basketball home page, click here or go to: https://mcacsports.org/sports/mbkb/index
 

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Preseason Coaches' Poll - #6

Northland Community and Technical College

Head Coach: Rick Nikunen, 34th year as head coach at NCTC

Overall Coaching Record at Northland: 436-419

Assistant Coaching Staff: Jon Lund

2024-25 Record: 4-14 in the MCAC, 8-18 overall, 7th in the MCAC North Division

Top returning players:

Zion Donnell, G, Nanakuli, HI

Lewis Jones, G, Gatzke, MN

Top incoming/new players:

Esron Simeon, G, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Alex Loomis, F, Racine, WI

Coach Nikunen on his team: "We hope to be competitive in the North Division."