UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. -- Saginaw Valley State University senior guard Toodles Seal was named Preseason All-GLIAC Second-Team when the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) office released the preseason coaches' poll and team awards. The Cardinals were chosen to eighth in the 2024-25 GLIAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll with a total of 41 points. Lake Superior State received nine first-place votes to compile 98 points and finish atop the poll. The Lakers jumped both the 2023-24 regular season champion, Northern Michigan, and tournament champion, Ferris State, to finish first. The Bulldogs and Wildcats each received one first-place nod with Ferris State taking second with 88 points and Northern Michigan finishing with 80. Grand Valley State claimed fourth with 77 points, which was 20 points ahead of fifth-place Wayne State. Michigan Tech and Parkside tied for sixth at 50 points and placed SVSU at eighth with its total points. Purdue Northwest (32), Davenport (17), and Roosevelt (15) finished off the poll.
The Cardinals finished last season 13-14 overall and 6-12 in the conference. The team returns six players from last year's team led by Preseason All-GLIAC Second-Team member Toodles Seal. Freddie McIntosh and Maurice Anderson return as well, along with junior Kevonne Taylor. SVSU added three junior transfers to the roster this season with Bryson Huckeby and Elijah Mattingly joining the squad from Anderson University. Richmond Mawutor from London, Great Britain, and Mineral Area College is the other junior transfer to the team. Christian Zielinski (Midland, Mich.) and Triston Nichols (Shelby Twp., Mich.) return after taking a red shirt last year. Five true freshmen complete the roster: Will Fowler (Duncan, S.C.), Dontez Scott II (Romulus, Mich.), Niko Newsom (Bloomington, Ill.), Trenton Taratuta (Hillman, Mich.), and Nate Washburn (Macomb, Mich.).
Seal was SVSU's leading scorer a season ago, with 18.5 points per game (third-best in the GLIAC) and 6.0 rebounds per game, which led Saginaw Valley and was a top-10 mark in the league. McIntosh was third on the team with 16.2 points per game and 2.3 assists per game, which is the most of any returner. Taylor returns down low as the team's leading blocker with 2.6 per game along with 4.6 rebounds and 5.6 points.
Randy Baruth leads the coaching staff as he heads into his 13th season at the program's helm. He is assisted by Tommy Twardecki and Barry Huckeby. Tim Inman is on the staff as a special assistant to the head coach.
The Cardinals have five non-conference games to kick off the season. The season opener is at Hillsdale on November 8 at 3:00 p.m., before hosting the Chargers at home on Sunday, November 10. That game starts a three-game home stand with Grace Christian (Nov. 15) and Indianapolis (Nov. 17), before hitting the road at Northwood on November 26. The GLIAC season begins on December 5 against Grand Valley State.