Milwaukee, Purdue Fort Wayne Share Top Spot in 2024-25 Under Armour #HLMBB Preseason Poll

October 15

Rachel White

INDIANAPOLIS (October 15, 2024) – Milwaukee and Purdue Fort Wayne shared the top spot in the 2024-25 Under Armour #HLMBB Preseason Poll in voting conducted by the League’s head coaches, SIDs and media members. Wright State’s Brandon Noel collected Preseason Player of the Year honors.

Dig Deeper:

Milwaukee advanced to the 2024 Barbasol #HLMBB championship game after posting a 12-8 League record during the regular season.
- Preseason All-League Second Team selection Erik Pratt returns for the Panthers following a 2023-24 campaign with 12.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game.
- Queens transfer AJ McKee was also voted to the Preseason All-League Second Team ahead of his HL debut.
  - McKee averaged 18.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in the ASUN last season.
Purdue Fort Wayne posted a 23-13 overall record last season, including an appearance in the CIT title game, along with an 11-9 #HLMBB record.
- Rasheed Bello and Jalen Jackson represent the Mastodons on the Preseason All-League First Team while Quinton Morton-Robertson collected Second Team honors.
  - Bello led the League with 1.9 steals per game last season, adding 14.9 points and 4.3 assists per contest.
  - Jackson averaged 15.7 points per game to lead PFW in 2023-24, adding 4.6 rebounds.
  - Morton-Robertson scored 13.0 points per game for the ‘Dons last season, shooting 40.4 percent from three-point range.
Brandon Noel earned All-League Second Team honors in 2023-24, averaging 14.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest while shooting 53.5 percent from the field.
Northern Kentucky advanced to the #HLMBB semifinals last season, finishing the campaign with an 18-15 overall record.
- Preseason All-League First Team selection Trey Robinson earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2023-24, totaling 1.8 steals with 7.0 rebounds and 11.7 points per game.
- Preseason All-League First Team honoree Sam Vinson returns for the Norse after playing just 13 games last season due to injury, averaging 13.3 points per game.
Oakland collected both the regular season and tournament titles last season before defeating Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament.
- Preseason All-League Second Team member DQ Cole averaged 8.7 points per game last season for the Golden Grizzlies, including 12 points in the upset win over the Wildcats and 20 points in the #HLMBB semifinals.
- Head coach Greg Kampe enters his 41^st season leading the Golden Grizzlies and is the longest-tenured men’s basketball coach in the country.
Wright State’s Alex Huibregtse posted 12.3 points and 3.3 assists per game in 2023-24, shooting 52.5 percent from the field, earning a spot on the Preseason All-League Second Team.
There are five new head coaches in #HLMBB this season.
- Wright State’s Clint Sargent and Youngstown State’s Ethan Faulkner were promoted to the top jobs in the offseason.
- Mark Montgomery takes over at Detroit Mercy while Doug Gottlieb now leads Green Bay and Paul Corsaro takes the helm at IU Indianapolis.
The regular season starts on Monday, Nov. 4 with Horizon League play scheduled to begin on Wednesday, Dec. 4.
The 2025 Barbasol Horizon League Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships are scheduled to culminate at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis March 10-11 with the mantra #MarchStartsHere.
- More information on the championships can be found at HorizonLeague.com/Indy.

2024-25 Under Armour #HLMBB Preseason Poll
Pl.        Team – Pts. (First-place votes)
T1.        Milwaukee (15) – 421
T1.        Purdue Fort Wayne (14) – 421
3.         Northern Kentucky (4) – 389
4.         Oakland (5) – 345
5.         Wright State (4) – 315
6.         Youngstown State (1) – 272
7.         Cleveland State – 252
8.         Green Bay – 171
9.         RMU – 148
10.        IU Indianapolis (1) – 91
11.        Detroit Mercy – 79


#HLMBB Preseason Player of the Year
Brandon Noel, Wright State

Preseason All-League First Team
Trey Robinson, Northern Kentucky
Sam Vinson, Northern Kentucky
Rasheed Bello, Purdue Fort Wayne
Jalen Jackson, Purdue Fort Wayne
Brandon Noel, Wright State

Preseason All-League Second Team
AJ McKee, Milwaukee
Erik Pratt, Milwaukee
DQ Cole, Oakland
Quinton Morton-Robertson, Purdue Fort Wayne
Alex Huibregtse, Wright State

Returning 2023-24 #HLMBB All-Academic Team Selections
Ryan Wade, Green Bay (Honorable Mention)
Brandon Noel, Wright State