Northern Michigan University’s Dylan Kuehl, right, gets the ball over half-court around Ferris State’s Reece Hazelton during their GLIAC game played at Vandament Arena in Marquette on Feb. 15. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

MARQUETTE — The men’s basketball team at Northern Michigan University is one of three schools to land two players on the Preseason All-GLIAC teams as voted on by coaches of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Both listed as graduate student forwards, NMU’s Dylan Kuehl was named to the Preseason GLIAC First Team, while teammate Jackson Dudek made the Preseason GLIAC Second Team.

Led by this pair, the Wildcats were recently voted by the same coaches as No. 2 in the preseason poll of team finishes only to Northern’s Upper Peninsula rival Michigan Tech.

Kuehl and Dudek have led Northern to three straight appearances in the NCAA Division II national tournament, in the process winning either a league regular-season or tournament title each of those years.

Last spring, it was a GLIAC Tournament title that guaranteed another NCAA appearance after a fourth-place finish in the regular season. NMU knocked off No. 5 Grand Valley State, No. 1 Michigan Tech and No. 2 Lake Superior State in the conference tourney.

Kuehl is a three-time GLIAC First Team and All-Defensive Team selection, also last spring earning an All-Midwest Region honor from the Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association and All-District award from the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

He led Northern with 16.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, reaching double figures in every league game and surpassing 1,000 career points during the season.

Dudek is joined by fellow graduate student Sam Privet to give the Wildcats a veteran frontcourt.

Dudek was named GLIAC Tournament MVP by averaging 15.7 ppg in the event, including 19 in the finals. Privet started all 32 games, averaging 9.8 ppg and 5.3 rebounds with a team-best 56.4% shooting from the field.

The trio together last season averaged nearly 35 points and 17 rebounds each time out.

Among NMU’s nine newcomers are Division I transfers Charlie Miller from Northern Iowa and Bennett Basich from Wisconsin-Green Bay, who are expected to add athleticism and scoring punch in the backcourt.

Seventh-year head coach Matt Majkrzak has a 108-66 record (.621 winning percentage) and 69-43 mark in the GLIAC (.616). Assistant coaches John-Michael Hughes and Luke Taylor are being touted for bringing fresh perspectives to the program.

Leading the conference preseason honors is GLIAC Preseason Player of the Year Marcus Tomashek of Michigan Tech for the second straight year. He was an All-American, GLIAC Player of the Year and Midwest Region Player of the Year last season, averaging 23.2 ppg, 4.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest.

Huskies teammate Dawson Nordgaard was named to the Preseason Second Team.

From GVSU, Ethan Alderink and Jalen Charity both made the Preseason First Team as the third school to have dual honorees.

The balance of honored players are, on the Preseason First Team, Josiah Palmer of Wisconsin-Parkside, and on the Second Team, Tyler Hamilton of Ferris State, Carlos Paul III of Wayne State and Dylan Smith of Davenport.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release reviewing the honors. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.