Minnesota is home to some of the best small college basketball in the country. Division 2 programs compete in the NSIC and Division 3 (non-scholarship) programs compete in the MIAC and UMAC. While D1 programs like the University of Minnesota and St. Thomas dominate the headlines and media landscape, there are a lot of big things happening at the small college level worthy of our attention, from nationally ranked teams to record-setting individual performances. The rosters are loaded with former Minnesota high school standouts who are carving out great small college careers. Here are some of the highlights for each league with less than a month to go before post season play begins.
NSIC Men
Top Teams
| Conference | Overall | |
| South Division | ||
| St. Cloud State | 14-2 | 17-5 |
| North Division | ||
| Jamestown | 9-7 | 11-11 |
Scoring Leaders
| Ben Kopetzki – Concordia-St. Paul (Andover) | 21.9 |
| John Pecarich – Bemidji State (Brainerd) | 21.1 |
| Tameron Ferguson – Augustana (St. Cloud Tech) | 20.9 |
- St. Cloud State has been the best team in the league and is currently riding a 10-game winning streak. The Huskies are led by sophomore Luke Winkel who is 4th in the league in scoring at 19.9 ppg and junior Wyatt Hawks (White Bear Lake) who leads the league in rebounding at 8.5 rpg.
- Tameron Ferguson is the only Division 2 player in the country averaging at least 20 ppg and 6.3 assists per contest.
- Jakob Braaten of Southwest Minnesota State (Byron) leads the Mustangs in scoring, assists and rebounds and has been named to the Clarence “Bevo” Francis Top 100 Watch List for the Small College Player of the Year.
- John Pecarich set multiple school records in a legendary performance against Concordia-St. Paul: points in a game (47), free throw accuracy (12-12), and 3-pointers made (9).
- UMD’s Kole Hanson (Holy Family) leads the Bulldogs in scoring at 15.2 ppg, good for 11th in the league despite coming off the bench for most of the season. Would definitely be the 6th Man of the Year, if the NSIC had such an award.
- The league features a number of “diaper dandies”, to steal a phrase from Dick Vitale to describe outstanding freshmen. The group includes Brogan Madson – Sioux Falls (Mankato East), Isa El-Amin – MSU Moorhead (Minnetonka) and Minnesota Crookston’s Donez Lindsey and Spencer Swanson (Sauk Rapids-Rice), all who are averaging at least 12.5 ppg.
NSIC Women
Top Teams
| Conference | Overall | |
| South Division | ||
| Minnesota State Mankato | 16-0 | 22-0 |
| North Division | ||
| UMD | 13-3 | 15-5 |
Scoring Leaders
| Bergen Kinnebrew – UMary | 21.8 |
| Natalie Bremer – Minnesota State Mankato (Lake City) | 21.5 |
| Emma Miller – Minnesota Crookston (STMA) | 19.4 |
| Anna Vaaler – Sioux Falls (Andover) | 19.0 |
| (all rank in the top 25 nationally in scoring) |
- Minnesota State Mankato is the class of the league with an undefeated record that has them ranked #2 in the country. The high-octane Mavericks lead all of Division 2 in scoring at nearly 96 ppg and could well be on their way to another national championship.
- Natalie Bremer has twice been named the National Player of the Week and broke the school’s career scoring record with more than 2,100 points.
- Small in stature, at just 5’1, Minnesota Crookston star guard Emma Miller is set to reach a big milestone – she needs just 43 points in her final 6 games to break the conference career scoring record held by UMD legend Brooke Olson.
- In a league full of elite scorers, Anna Vaaler is making her case to be recognized as the NSIC’s best shooter, currently ranking 17th in FG%, 2nd in FT%, and 5th in 3FG%.
- Augustana sophomore Isabella Sanneh (East Ridge) is the only player in the league that has a chance to average a double-double for the season. She is averaging 14.7 ppg and leads the league in rebounding at 9.9 per game.
- UMD coach Mandy Pearson recently recorded her 200th coaching win at the school and surpassed more than 300 wins in her overall coaching career.
MIAC Men
Top Teams
| Conference | Overall | |
| Gustavus | 11-0 | 19-1 |
| St. Olaf | 9-2 | 13-7 |
| Carleton | 8-3 | 12-8 |
Scoring Leaders
| Noah Shannon – Macalester | 21.5 |
| Jacob Cook – Concordia-Moorhead (Ashby) | 20.6 |
| Matt Drake – Carleton (Lakeville North) | 19.9 |
- Gustavus is undefeated in the league and just moved up to #8 nationally in the latest D3 Hoops poll. The Gusties are led by former Wayzata standouts Myles Barnette (17.4 ppg) and Jake Schmitt (16.3 ppg) who both rank in the top 10 in league scoring.
- Concordia-Moorhead teammates Jacob Cook and Jackson Loge (Morris Area) are the only two players in the league averaging a double-double: 20.6 ppg and 10.5 rpg for Cook and 14.3 ppg and 11.0 rpg for Loge.
- Augsburg’s JJ Semanko (Hopkins) is unquestionably the league’s best freshman, ranking 5th in scoring at 17.7 ppg and 3rd in rebounding at 8.7 per game.
MIAC Women
Top Teams
| Conference | Overall | |
| Concordia-Moorhead | 10-2 | 16-3 |
| Winona St. Mary’s | 9-3 | 15-4 |
| Bethel | 9-3 | 14-5 |
| St. Scholastica | 9-3 | 14-5 |
Scoring Leaders
| Addy Huss – Carleton | 18.1 |
| Emily Erikson – Bethel (Chisago Lakes) | 17.1 |
| Ava Haus – St. Scholastica (STMA) | 16.6 |
- The race for the league title is wide open with at least 4 teams in strong contention. Concordia-Moorhead is the only program ranked nationally, coming in at #24.
- St. Olaf’s Elise Hahn is the only player in the league averaging a double-double, ranking 20th in scoring at 11.5 ppg and leading the league in rebounding at 10.9 per game.
- Lauren Arnold – St. Ben’s (Chanhassen) leads the nation in free-throw shooting, converting from the line at an amazing 93% clip.
- St. Scholastica sharpshooter Evie Schmitz (St. Louis Park) ranks #9 nationally in 3-point shooting at 45.5%.
- St. Ben’s coaching legend, Mike Durbin, has been presented with the Milestone Award as part of Minnesota’s 2026 National Girls and Women in Sports Day that was celebrated on Wednesday, February 4. Durbin is in his 40th year on the sidelines for the Blazers and is the only coach in league history to coach in more than 1,000 games. He is a two-time National Coach of the Year and ranks 3rd all-time in D3 coaching wins.
UMAC Men
Top Teams
| Conference | Overall | |
| Crown | 5-2 | 11-8 |
| Minnesota Morris | 4-2 | 9-10 |
Scoring Leaders
| Adam Loberger – Martin Luther | 23.0 |
| Carvin Fish – Minnesota Morris | 19.5 |
| Japheth Nyamari – Northwestern (Anoka) | 19.5 |
- Tyler Smith – Crown (Irondale) is one of the nation’s most unique players. The 6’7 junior leads the nation in blocked shots – 4.1 per game and has the rare distinction of leading the UMAC in both rebounding (11.9 rpg) and assists (6.2 apg).
- North Central twins Carrington and Carmello McNeal (Twin Cities Academy) both rank in the top 10 in league scoring, 17.7 ppg and 15.0 ppg, respectively.
- Kaden Pieper – Minnesota Morris (Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa) scored 45 points in a victory over Martin Luther, the second-highest point total in school history.
- North Central’s Remy Wedgeworth-Brown recorded the school’s 1st triple-double since 2016 with 17 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists versus Martin Luther.
UMAC Women
Top Teams
| Conference | Overall | |
| Bethany Lutheran | 7-0 | 10-10 |
| UW Superior | 5-2 | 8-12 |
Scoring Leaders
| Maddy Grove – Minnesota Morris (Morris Area) | 18.9 |
| Brycelyn Brewster – North Central (UCA) | 14.6 |
| NiNi Davenport – North Central | 13.9 |
- Martin Luther’s Wilhelmina Wenz is the only player in the league averaging a double-double with 12.3 ppg and 10.5 rpg. In addition, she tied the school’s single-game rebounding record with 20 rebounds against Northwestern.
- Mya Morris – Martin Luther (Perham) was leading the league in scoring at more than 20 ppg before her season was cut short after just 14 games with an injury.
- North Central’s NiNi Davenport tied the school record with 11 three-pointers made in a game against Northwestern.
I would strongly encourage all of our readers to take in a SMALL college basketball game in Minnesota – you are likely to witness something BIG!
About the Author
As Hoop Habits’ media contributor, Roger Johnson brings decades of basketball expertise to his articles. Having served as a marketing executive at Wells Fargo & Company and a content writer for Ultimate Hoops, Roger’s true passion has always been basketball. With experience as a collegiate player at Moorhead State University, coach, and parent of successful players, Roger offers unique insights into the game. His dedication shows through his Minnesota Timberwolves season tickets, University of Minnesota basketball support, and attendance at over 3,000 basketball games throughout his lifetime.