ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Two preseason NCAA Division III basketball polls were release recently and, not surprisingly, Coach Grey Giovanine's Augustana squad received lofty rankings in both. The only program in the nation—and just the second ever—to reach at least the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III Tournament four years in a row, was ranked third by D3hoops.com and sixth by Street & Smith's.
 
The Vikings, who were fifth in D3hoops' final 2017-18 poll, trailed only defending national champion Nebraska Wesleyan (30-3) and last year's runner-up, Wisconsin-Oshkosh (25-8), in this year's preseason rankings. The top-ranked Prairie Wolves received 24 of 25 first-place votes, with the other going to Augustana, which finished 25-6 last year. Oshkosh defeated the Vikings 95-88 in overtime in last year's NCAA quarterfinals. Rounding out D3hoops' preseason top five were Whitman (29-2) and MIT (25-6). The entire Top 25, along with other receiving votes, can be accessed here: http://www.d3hoops.com/top25/men/2018-19/preseason.
 
Giovanine's crew was tabbed for sixth in the nation by Street & Smith's. That publication also awarded its top spot to Nebraska Wesleyan, with Whitman, Williams (23-6), Whitworth (24-4) and Wisconsin-Stevens Point (21-9) completing the top five. Filling out the top ten were Augustana, UW-Oshkosh, MIT, Hamilton (24-5) and New Jersey City (19-8). The Vikings and Stevens Point will tangle in Augustana's home opener at Carver Center on Wednesday, November 28.
 
Street & Smith's also recognized Giovanine's senior backcourt in its All-America selections. Chrishawn Orange (Jacobs HS, Algonquin, Ill.) was a 2018-19 preseason first team All-America pick, while Nolan Ebel (Regis Jesuit HS, Denver, Colo.) earned honorable mention. D3hoops' preseason All-America teams will be announced in early November.
 
Unofficially, Augustana's season gets underway on Sunday, October 28 at the TaxSlayer Center in Moline, Illinois, where the Vikings will face St. Ambrose in the Genesis Collegiate Challenge. On Saturday, November 3, they'll play another exhibition contest versus Division I Illinois State in Normal, Illinois. The regular season starts on Friday, November 16 in Alma, Michigan versus the Alma Scots.