COLORADO SPRINGS - Colorado School of Mines has been picked atop the RMAC men's basketball preseason poll with Gokul Natesan and Caleb Waitsman picking up preseason all-conference honors.

The Orediggers (24-8 / 17-5 RMAC in 2015-16) received 186 total points and five first-place votes to beat out Fort Lewis (180 pts, 7 first-place) and MSU Denver (178 pts, 3 first-place) for the coaches' poll's top spot. Mines finished second to Fort Lewis in both the regular-season standings and RMAC Tournament last year.

Natesan, named the RMAC preseason defensive player of the year on Monday, earned Preseason All-RMAC honors along with Waitsman as the pair are among the top returning duos in the league. Natesan's junior campaign saw him average 20.7 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.1 steals per game, earning him First-Team All-RMAC, NABC Second-Team All-Region, and First-Team Academic All-America as a junior in 2015-16. He owned a 2.2 assists/turnover ratio shooting 44.6 percent and 84.3 percent from the line with 84 three-pointers. His offensive output led Mines, including 19 20+ point games and two 30+ point outings, dropping 38 in overtime against Colorado Mesa and 34 in double-OT against Colorado Christian.

Waitsman is one of the region's top returning frontcourt players. The 6-8 senior forward is a two-time Second-Team All-RMAC honoree, and averaged 11.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game a year ago. Waitsman shot 53.5 percent overall, including a career-high 24 points against Colorado Christian, and was Mines' most reliable rebounder, leading the team with his average and snaring a career-high 22 against Adams State. His seven double-doubles were the most by an Oredigger last season.

Also returning as starters for Mines are redshirt sophomore point guard Ben Sonnefeld and redshirt junior shooting guard Luke Schroepfer. Waitsman averaged 11.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game shooting 53.5 percent last season, notching seven double-doubles as one of the league's top frontcourt players. Sonnefeld ran the offense as a redshirt freshman with 32 starts, averaging 5.4 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game, while Schroepfer emerged during the season as one of the RMAC's top outside shooters with 55 three-pointers (46.6%) and 8.2 points per game.

Mines also returns a deep bench while includes frontcourt players Ben Clare, Adam Laine, Murphy Gershman, Luke Golter, Brandon Lueders, and Felix Scheytt and guards Kaan Korkmaz, Ruben Jackson, Zach Rusk, and Mark Winans. Head Coach Pryor Orser is also adding one of the deepest recruiting classes in program history with six new faces in the mix.

Mines opens the season Nov. 11 against St. Mary's (TX) at Lubbock Christian. Head Coach Pryor Orser will appear at Wednesday's Denver D-II Tip-Off Luncheon at Blake Street Tavern beginning at noon; the event is open to all fans. 
 

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RMAC Preseason Men's Basketball Coaches' Poll
1. Colorado Mines (5), 186
2. Fort Lewis (7), 180
3. MSU Denver (3), 178
4. New Mexico Highlands, 133
5. UCCS, 131
6. Colorado Mesa, 130
7. CSU-Pueblo, 124
8. Regis, 107
9. Westminster, 92
10. Black Hills State, 75
11. Colorado Christian, 74
12. Adams State, 57
13. South Dakota Mines, 43
14. Chadron State, 39
15. Western State, 26