Beaver Fever Friday – Derek Thompson – Mens Basketball

BSU Men’s Basketball selected 12th overall in NSIC Preseason Coaches’ Poll

Bemidji State University men’s basketball was selected to finish 12th overall and sixth in the division as the 2021-22 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll was released Thursday afternoon. Senior forward Derek Thompson was named the BSU Player to Watch entering his fifth year with the program.

BSU totaled 84 points to rank 12th in the overall poll, behind Winona State University in 11th with 98 points and Minot State University in 10th with 109. Bemidji State garnered 24 points in the NSIC North Division poll, placing itself ahead of the University of Minnesota Crookston and the University of Mary in seventh with 10 points each.

Minnesota State University Moorhead took top billing in the overall and divisional polls, totaling 222 points and 13 first-place votes in the overall poll and 49 points and seven first-place votes in the North division. Wayne State College ranks second in the overall poll with 195 points and two first-place votes, and leads the South division poll with 42 points and four first-place votes.

Thompson, a native of Cold Spring, Minn., was named the BSU Player to Watch after being selected to the All-NSIC Second Team over the past two seasons. He led BSU in scoring (17.9 ppg), rebounds (6.3 rpg), blocks (0.6 bpg) and steals (0.8 spg). Thompson recorded five games with at least 20 points, including a BSU single-game record of 45 points in the 2020-22 season finale. He ranked fifth in the NSIC in scoring, 10th in field goal percentage and 11th in rebounds.

“Derek is one of the hardest workers I’ve had in my coaching career,” head coach Mike Boschee said. “He is dedicated to being the best he can be on and off the court. He has always been a joy to work with and coach. Derek is the type of player that everyone roots for to be successful in basketball and in life.”

Boschee enters his 10th season with the program and leading the Beavers to five wins over their last six games of the 2020-21 season. Three starters from last season return along with seven letter winners and seven newcomers, including three transfers and four true freshmen.

“I really like the maturity on this year’s team,” Boschee said. “We have a great deal of experience coming back which is so nice to have coaching. We have a very unselfish group that cares about the team first and doing the little things to be successful.”

Bemidji State opens its 2021-22 season Tuesday, Nov. 16 at home against Concordia University-St. Paul in a non-conference game at 5:30 p.m. at BSU Gymnasium. BSU will play five non-conference games, including one exhibition, and starts conference play Tuesday, Nov. 23 at Minnesota Crookston.