INDIANAPOLIS – As the 2024-25 basketball season is beginning in a couple of weeks, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference announced the 2024-25 Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll on Tuesday (Oct. 29) afternoon.

The Panthers were picked tenth in the poll as voted on by the conference's head coaches, compiling 42 points. 

Kentucky Wesleyan was voted as the preseason favorite, earning seven first place votes and 129 total points. Hillsdale had four first place votes, sitting in second with 121 points. Walsh, the defending tournament champions, were picked third with 107 points and a single first place vote. Ashland was just behind the Cavaliers in fourth place (102 points). Malone edged out Findlay for fifth place by two points. Thomas More, Cedarville and Lake Erie were chosen to finish seventh through ninth in front of the Panthers. Northwood and Tiffin were selected behind Ohio Dominican in 11th and 12th, respectively. 

Ohio Dominican was 5-22 overall last season with a 2-18 record in conference games. 

Head coach Casey Kaufman has a new group of Panthers ready for the season. Kaufman has the likes of JeJuan Weatherspoon, Zac Kimball, Brady Moore and Elijah Hinton returning from last year's squad. There will be five new freshman in the mix along with six transfers this season. 

Ohio Dominican opens the 2024-25 season on November 10th in a neutral site contest with Missouri S&T. The opener will be played in Terre Haute, Indiana at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Conference play begins December 5th at Hillsdale. 

2024-25 Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll