After making huge strides in 2017-18, the Kansas Wesleyan men’s basketball team and Bethany women’s squad are tabbed for solid encore campaigns.

Bethany was picked as the second-best team in the KCAC while KWU was selected as a top-four team, according to the coaches and media members at the 2018-19 KCAC Basketball Media Day in Wichita at Crestview Country Club.

BC received one more first-place vote in the coaches poll than Tabor, a team the Swedes lost to last year in the KCAC postseason tournament. The Swedes finished last season with a 14-8 conference mark, tying for second with two other teams. Kansas Wesleyan tied for sixth a year ago and the Coyotes are picked to finish there for 2018-19, despite receiving a first-place vote by the coaches.

On the men’s side, Kansas Wesleyan tied for third in the coaches poll while receiving a fourth-place slot by the media. KWU surprised the conference last year, grabbing the No. 3 seed in the KCAC postseason tournament after ending the regular season with a 14-8 KCAC mark. Bethany ended up last a season ago, but the Swedes look to change that in 2018-19. The Swedes were picked to finish 12th.

KCAC Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll
1. Tabor 132 points (4 first-place votes)
2. Bethany 131 (5)
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan 128 (3)
4. Sterling 104
5. Friends 89
6. Kansas Wesleyan 84 (1)
7. Avila 65
8. Saint Mary 61
9. Bethel 59
10. McPherson 55
11. Ottawa 51
12. Southwestern 43
13. York 12

KCAC Women’s Basketball Media Poll
1. Tabor 216 (14)
2. Bethany 196 (2)
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan 195 (1)
4. Friends 173 (2)
5. Sterling 164
6. Kansas Wesleyan 152
7. Saint Mary 121
8. McPherson 111
9. Avila 108
10. Bethel 105
11. Ottawa 96
12. Southwestern 73
13. York 19

KCAC Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan 143 (11)
2. Southwestern 133 (2)
T3. Friends 107
T3. Kansas Wesleyan 107
5. York 96
6. Ottawa 95
7. Tabor 73
8. Saint Mary 70
9. Avila 62
10. McPherson 53
11. Sterling 38
12. Bethany 22
13. Bethel 15

KCAC Men’s Basketball Media Poll
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan 240 (15)
2. Southwestern 219 (3)
3. Friends 193 (1)
4. Kansas Wesleyan 171
5. Tabor 154
6. York 143
7. Saint Mary 128
8. Ottawa 124
9. Avila 114
10. McPherson 93
11. Sterling 69
12. Bethany 52
13. Bethel 29