CORVALLIS, Ore. – For the sixth-straight season, Oregon Tech has been picked to finish in the Top-3 of the Cascade Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll, as the Hustlin’ Owls earned the No. 2 spot in the 2022-23 balloting, released by the conference office.
Tech earned 127 voter points from the 12 conference coaches, second only to defending league champ, College of Idaho (143). Lewis-Clark State (114) was picked third, followed by Eastern Oregon (101) and Southern Oregon (90).
Each of the top-three teams advanced to the NAIA National Championships in 2022 – C of I advancing to the national quarterfinals, OIT reaching the second-round, with LCSC dropping a first-round match-up.
It is the second time in the last six years that the Hustlin’ Owls have been picked second – as the 2018-19 squad that reached the NAIA Division I national title game earned second billing by the coaches. In 2019 and 2021, OIT was picked to win the league title, while the 2017 and 2020 teams were picked third.
OIT will host the Seattle Mountaineers club team on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in an exhibition contest, a week before opening the regular-season at home vs. William Jessup.
2022-23 CCC Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll
| Team (First-Place Votes) | Points |
| 1. College of Idaho (11) | 143 |
| 2. Oregon Tech | 127 |
| 3. Lewis-Clark State College (1) | 114 |
| 4. Eastern Oregon University | 101 |
| 5. Southern Oregon University | 90 |
| 6. Corban University | 87 |
| 7. Multnomah University | 76 |
| 8. Bushnell University | 62 |
| 9. Warner Pacific University | 55 |
| 10. Northwest University | 39 |
| 11. The Evergreen State College | 34 |
| 12. Walla Walla University | 16 |