Eight returning players and eight new guys will suit up for the University of Northern Colorado men’s basketball team this week when the Bears start a new season.

The men are the co-defending Big Sky Conference regular-season champions and shared the title last year with Montana. UNC was picked third in conference preseason polls, which says a lot about the Bears program according to head coach Steve Smiley.

“I think being picked as a top three team is also a little bit of a sign of respect for where our program’s at right now,” Smiley said. “That people think, man, these guys have been good pretty consistently. We better pick them pretty high. So I think that’s a good thing too.”

UNC take the first steps in a game situation to defining its season at 7:30 p.m. Monday with the season ope

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