University of St. Thomas Athletics
Men’s Basketball picked to finish first in Summit Preseason Coaches’ Poll
10/7/2025 9:01:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nolan Minessale named Player of the Year, Carter Bjerke also named All-Summit First Team
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- Coming off its first trip to the Summit League Championship game last season, St. Thomas men's basketball was selected to finish first in the 2025-26 Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Sophomore guard Nolan Minessale was voted as the Summit League Preseason Player of the Year, the first sophomore to earn the honor since Mike Daum of South Dakota State in 2016-17 and the first true sophomore since at least the 2006-07 season. The guard from Brookfield, Wis., started all 34 games and quickly established himself as one of the Summit League's top two-way players. He led the league in blocks per game, ranked sixth in steals, and paced the Tommies in both categories while shooting a team-best 56.2 percent from the field.
Minessale averaged 11.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game, scoring in double figures 16 times with four 20-point outings, including a 27-point performance at UC Riverside that tied the highest single-game total by a Tommie true freshman in the Division I era. Minessale also added 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting during last season's Summit League title game.
Carter Bjerke was picked to the All-Summit League First Team after emerging as one of the league's top perimeter shooters and a cornerstone of the Tommies' offense. The Plymouth, Minn., native has played in all 67 games of his career, leading St. Thomas in 3-pointers made in each of his first two seasons. In 2024-25, he averaged 9.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while ranking fifth in the league in made 3-pointers, scoring in double figures 17 times, including a career-high 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting from deep against NCAA Tournament qualifier Wofford.
The Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll, as voted on by the league's head coaches, sports information directors and select media members, featured the Tommies with a league-best 17 first-place votes and 501 total points, ahead of last season's league champions in Omaha with 13 first-place votes and 495 total points. South Dakota State was slotted third with five first-place votes and 450 points, followed by North Dakota State in fourth with 358 total points and South Dakota in fifth with the final first-place vote and 342 total points.
St. Thomas begins its 15th season under Head Coach John Tauer, who is nine wins shy of 300 in his career. He is just one of seven head coaches among all of NCAA to hold a .730 winning percentage and at least 250 career wins with one program. The Tommies have won at least 22 games eight times and finished second or better in conference play 10 times under Tauer.
St. Thomas continued its rise in 2024-25, reaching the program's first Summit League Championship title game and finishing second in the league standings. The Tommies won a Division I-era best 24 games, their fourth straight season of improvement, and posted the Summit League's top winning percentage (.706). They went 14-0 at home to extend their winning streak in Schoenecker Arena to 18 games, tied with St. John's (NY) for the longest active run in Division I. Nationally, St. Thomas ranked third in effective field goal percentage (.582) and was the only team to finish top 20 in 2-point, 3-point, and free throw percentage as well as turnover margin. The Purple set a program record with four All-Summit League selections and earned signature wins over NCAA Tournament teams Montana and Omaha.
In addition to bringing back Bjerke, Minessale, and six others, the Tommies welcome in six newcomers including three Power Four and two former four-star recruit transfers. Five of the six newcomers have at least three years of eligibility remaining.
The 2025-26 season, St. Thomas' first fully eligible season in NCAA Division I, begins Monday, Nov. 3 with a road trip to face West Coast Conference power Saint Mary's (CA) in Moraga, Calif. The Purple return to St. Paul, Minn., on Saturday, Nov. 8 to face Army-West Point presented by Wings Credit Union in the first-ever game for the program in the new Lee & Penny Anderson Arena. Tickets for the Lee & Penny Anderson Arena opener and every home game can be purchased HERE.
2025-26 Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll
Sophomore guard Nolan Minessale was voted as the Summit League Preseason Player of the Year, the first sophomore to earn the honor since Mike Daum of South Dakota State in 2016-17 and the first true sophomore since at least the 2006-07 season. The guard from Brookfield, Wis., started all 34 games and quickly established himself as one of the Summit League's top two-way players. He led the league in blocks per game, ranked sixth in steals, and paced the Tommies in both categories while shooting a team-best 56.2 percent from the field.
Minessale averaged 11.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game, scoring in double figures 16 times with four 20-point outings, including a 27-point performance at UC Riverside that tied the highest single-game total by a Tommie true freshman in the Division I era. Minessale also added 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting during last season's Summit League title game.
Carter Bjerke was picked to the All-Summit League First Team after emerging as one of the league's top perimeter shooters and a cornerstone of the Tommies' offense. The Plymouth, Minn., native has played in all 67 games of his career, leading St. Thomas in 3-pointers made in each of his first two seasons. In 2024-25, he averaged 9.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while ranking fifth in the league in made 3-pointers, scoring in double figures 17 times, including a career-high 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting from deep against NCAA Tournament qualifier Wofford.
The Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll, as voted on by the league's head coaches, sports information directors and select media members, featured the Tommies with a league-best 17 first-place votes and 501 total points, ahead of last season's league champions in Omaha with 13 first-place votes and 495 total points. South Dakota State was slotted third with five first-place votes and 450 points, followed by North Dakota State in fourth with 358 total points and South Dakota in fifth with the final first-place vote and 342 total points.
St. Thomas begins its 15th season under Head Coach John Tauer, who is nine wins shy of 300 in his career. He is just one of seven head coaches among all of NCAA to hold a .730 winning percentage and at least 250 career wins with one program. The Tommies have won at least 22 games eight times and finished second or better in conference play 10 times under Tauer.
St. Thomas continued its rise in 2024-25, reaching the program's first Summit League Championship title game and finishing second in the league standings. The Tommies won a Division I-era best 24 games, their fourth straight season of improvement, and posted the Summit League's top winning percentage (.706). They went 14-0 at home to extend their winning streak in Schoenecker Arena to 18 games, tied with St. John's (NY) for the longest active run in Division I. Nationally, St. Thomas ranked third in effective field goal percentage (.582) and was the only team to finish top 20 in 2-point, 3-point, and free throw percentage as well as turnover margin. The Purple set a program record with four All-Summit League selections and earned signature wins over NCAA Tournament teams Montana and Omaha.
In addition to bringing back Bjerke, Minessale, and six others, the Tommies welcome in six newcomers including three Power Four and two former four-star recruit transfers. Five of the six newcomers have at least three years of eligibility remaining.
The 2025-26 season, St. Thomas' first fully eligible season in NCAA Division I, begins Monday, Nov. 3 with a road trip to face West Coast Conference power Saint Mary's (CA) in Moraga, Calif. The Purple return to St. Paul, Minn., on Saturday, Nov. 8 to face Army-West Point presented by Wings Credit Union in the first-ever game for the program in the new Lee & Penny Anderson Arena. Tickets for the Lee & Penny Anderson Arena opener and every home game can be purchased HERE.
2025-26 Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Rank | School (1st Place Votes) | Points |
| 1. | St. Thomas (17) | 501 |
| 2. | Omaha (13) | 495 |
| 3. | South Dakota State (5) | 450 |
| 4. | North Dakota State | 358 |
| 5. | South Dakota (1) | 342 |
| 6. | Kansas City | 187 |
| 7. | Denver | 169 |
| 8. | North Dakota | 168 |
| 9. | Oral Roberts | 165 |
2025-26 Preseason All-Summit League First Team
| Name | School |
| Nolan Minessale* | St. Thomas |
| Carter Bjerke | St. Thomas |
| Isaac Bruns | South Dakota |
| Kalen Garry | South Dakota State |
| Tony Osburn | Omaha |
| Jayson Petty | Kansas City |
* Preseason Player of the Year
2025-26 Preseason All-Summit League Second Team
2025-26 Preseason All-Summit League Second Team
| Name | School |
| Noah Feddersen | North Dakota State |
| Ja'Sean Glover | Omaha |
| Carson Johnson | Denver |
| Eli King | North Dakota |
| Markhi Strickland | North Dakota State |
Follow Along
For more information on St. Thomas Men's Basketball, follow along on X at @TommieMBBall and on Instagram at @tommiehoops. Tommie Athletics is now available on TikTok at @TommieSports.
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-- St. Thomas Athletics --
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