Men's Basketball | 11/3/2022 11:19:00 AM
SEASON OPENER: Friday will mark the 103rd year of Coyote basketball. The Yotes have recorded an all-time mark of 53-49 in season openers, including a stretch of eight-consecutive wins coming into today's contest.
SEASON OPENER Part II: College of Idaho has won its last four road openers with the last loss coming in a 91-82 decision to Montana Western on November 10, 2017.
DON'T I KNOW YOU: The roster for the Yotes features 12 returning letterwinners from a NAIA Elite Eight squad in 2022-23. Among the newcomers is freshman
Samaje Morgan, who is the brother of assistant coach
Emanuel Morgan. Assistant Coach
Jacob McLeod is reunited with his former co-worker and Yotes head coach
Colby Blaine as the two worked together at the College of Southern Idaho.
DOUBLE DOUBLE, DOUBLE DOUBLE (CAREER)
Jake O'Neil: 5; last vs. Loyola, 3/19/22
PRESEASON POLL at No. 3: College of Idaho enters the 2022-23 college basketball season ranked as the No. 3 team in the NAIA. It marks the ninth-straight year that College of Idaho has been in the preseason top 25 and eighth time in nine years that College of Idaho has been ranked in the top 10. Since the return of the combined poll in 2020-21, the Yotes have been ranked No. 8 in 2020-21 and No. 24 in 2021-22. With preseason polls dating back to 1991-92, the highest preseason ranking for College of Idaho has been Marty Holly's squad in 1991-92 that was ranked No. 1 in the NAIA Division II poll.
Preseason poll history
2021-22: #24 – Combined Poll
2020-21: #8 – First combined poll since 1990-91
2019-20: #3 – NAIA Division II
2018-19: #3 – NAIA Division II
2017-18: #7 – NAIA Division II
2016-17: #7– NAIA Division II
2015-16: #6 – NAIA Division II
2014-15: #7 – NAIA Division II
2009-10: #8 – NAIA Division II
2005-06: #16 – NAIA Division II
2004-05: #21 – NAIA Division II
2003-04: #12 – NAIA Division II
2002-03: #15 – NAIA Division II
2001-02: #8 – NAIA Division II
1999-00: #2 – NAIA Divisio
1998-99: #12 – NAIA Division II
1996-97: #17 – NAIA Division II
1995-96: #13 – NAIA Division II
1994-95: #21 – NAIA Division II
1993-94: #9 – NAIA Division II
1992-93: #7 – NAIA Division II
1991-92: #1 – NAIA Division II
PRESEASON FAVORITE IN THE CCC: The Yotes have been picked to finish atop the Cascade Collegiate Conference standings in the 2022-23 CCC Preseason Poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches.
College of Idaho, who received 11 first-place votes, received 143 points, followed by Oregon Tech with 127 points, followed by Lewis-Clark State as they garnered the remaining first-place vote, putting them in third with 114 points. Eastern Oregon (101), Southern Oregon (90), Corban (87), Multnomah (76), Bushnell (62), Warner Pacific (55), Northwest (39), Evergreen State (34) and Walla Walla (16) round out the 12-team poll.
2022-23 CCC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
Team (First-Place Votes) Points
1. College of Idaho (11) 143
2. Oregon Tech 127
3. Lewis-Clark State College (1) 114
4. Eastern Oregon University 101
5. Southern Oregon University 90
6. Corban University 87
7. Multnomah University 76
8. Bushnell University 62
9. Warner Pacific University 55
10. Northwest University 39
11. The Evergreen State College 34
12. Walla Walla University 16
TALES FROM SAFFORD - Longtime Director of Athletic Communications Mike Safford left behind these notes -
- BEYOND THE 3-POINT LINE SUCCESS: Since college basketball adopted the 3-point line at the start of the 1986-87 season, the Coyotes have made a 3-pointer in every game played but one – a loss to Idaho State during the U.S. Bank Tip-Off Tournament at Boise State on Dec. 2, 1988. Since then, C of I has run a string of games with a trey to 1,088 – one of five programs (UNLV – 1,160, CCC rival, Corban – 1,143, Duke – 1,145 and Western Kentucky – 1,099) which have made a 3-pointer in over 1,080-or-more straight games.
- UNDER 60 POINTS / OVER 95 POINTS: C of I has a dominating 208-13 mark when holding teams under 60 points over the last 40+ years. During the stretch, the Coyotes are 50-1 when opponents fail to score 50. In addition, the Yotes have won 52 of their last 53 contests (dating back to 2006) when scoring 95 points per game.
