The Winona State University men’s basketball team is set to start the 2023-24 campaign, led by senior Connor Dillon who has been named the Winona State Player to Watch in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

The NSIC released the 2023-24 Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll and the Warriors were picked to finish 10th in the league.  The 2023-24 season will see the NSIC in a 15-team, single-division format rather than North and South Divisions as in previous years. The NSIC regular season championship will be based on the 22-game schedule. Each team will play eight teams twice and another six teams once. An NSIC Champion will be awarded to the team with the highest win percentage in the 22 games played. 

Dillon returns to the floor for Winona State following a strong 2022-23 campaign in which he appeared in and started all 27 games for head coach Todd Eisner. The former Peoria (Ill.) Notre Dame standout led the team in points-per-game with 18.7 and was seventh in the NSIC in scoring. Dillon also averaged 4.2 rebounds per game while also being second in the NSIC at 35.9 minutes per contest.

Eisner, heading into his ninth season at the helm, said, “Connor had an outstanding season for Winona State Men's Basketball last year. He is an exciting scorer who can create his own shot and is a threat from the three-point line or when attacking with the dribble. We will need Connor to again score at a high level and continue to develop his all-around game on both ends of the floor for our team to have a chance to be successful.”

Dillon is among a mix of returning faces and new additions that should make the 2023-24 Warrior season exciting and entertaining.  WSU has nine returners this winter, offering the Warriors experience in quick and dynamic guard play, as well as veteran leadership down low in the paint. 

Connor Drew and Drew Adams both return for junior seasons having been a big part of the WSU offensive and defensive game plans. Connor Drew started all 27 games for WSU last fall,  averaging 26 minutes. The junior from Huxley, Iowa averaged 11.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Drew Adams, a junior from Woodbury, Minn., was fourth on the team in blocks, while averaging 2.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per contest. 

Other returners with a front court presence include Carter Lomas, a 6'4" senior from Wauzeka, Wis. and Nate Montgomery, a 6'6" sophomore from Watertown, Wis. Lomas, a 2022 All-Academic selection, appeared in 22 games for WSU while Montgomery will be looking for an opportunity to bring some returning size to the Warrior lineup. 

Returning depth is a key component of the Winona State backcourt, with several options at Eisner's disposal. 

Declan Dillon joins his twin brother Connor as a returning leader in minutes played and games started. Declan Dillon started 25 contests last year, averaging 31 minutes per game, while also notching a team-best 87 assists. Returner Devon Fielding checks in with 19 games played in 2022-23, while Carson Arenz had one start among his 25 appearances. Tyler Borowski appeared in 20 games, logging 133 minutes total. Jordan Wilkins also returns for WSU; Wilkins was a NJCAA All-American in 2021-22 at Elgin Community College. 

Eisner went on to note, “We are excited about our returning group of players who have worked extremely hard this fall to give us a chance to be improved this season. We return three starters in Connor Dillon, Connor Drew and Declan Dillon, who will all need to take on a leadership role, along with our expectations of a more consistent production at both ends of the floor. We added eight new players to our roster, with several showing the potential to help Warrior Basketball right away.”

Among the eight new faces for Winona State are three players with previous collegiate experience. 

Olumide Adelodun comes to Winona State from NCAA Division I program Ohio University, and is joined by Brock Voight, a graduate student and standout from NCAA Division III UW-Eau Claire and Bryant Brown, a former University of Tampa Spartan. 

Voigt was a 2021-22 All-WIAC First Team selection and was named to the WIAC All-Defensive team as well. Adelodun appeared in 19 contests for OU, and was a part of the 2022-23 Bobcat squad that went 19-14 overall and 10-8 in league play. Ohio advanced to the MAC semifinals before bowing out to No. 1 seeded Toledo. Brown brings two seasons of experience from UTampa as the Waukegan, Ill. product has appeared in 13 games across his college career. 

Rounding out the Winona State lineup are a handful of freshman guards and a 6'7" post presence.  New to the WSU backcourt are guards Gavyn Hurley (Middleton, Wis.), Arius Alijosius (Riverside, Ill.), Tyler Orr (Rice Lake, Wis.), and Mikail Harmison (Appleton, Wis.). Freshman Tyson Keil, a former Appleton East standout, brings a 6'7" frame to both ends of the floor for the Warriors. 

Winona State also added two new faces to the Warrior sideline over the offseason. Cole Rabedeaux brings a NCAA Division I background to WSU and the Warriors welcome back Devin Whitelow, a WSU point guard who earned the NSIC Bob Olson Outstanding Senior award in 2022. 

Winona State will open up 2023-24 on the road in Kansas City, Mo., taking part in the 2023-24 Central Region Challenge.  There, WSU will face off with the University of Arkansas Monticello on Friday, Nov. 10 and Southern Arkansas University on Saturday, Nov. 11.  The Warriors home opener is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 16 against the University of Missouri St. Louis. The Tritons and Warriors will tipoff at 6 p.m. in McCown Gymnasium, home of WNB Financial Court.