CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - After finishing as regular season co-champions in the Iowa Conference a year ago, the Loras men's basketball team has been tabbed to finish second in 2018 after an 18-8 record last season, as announced by the league on Thursday.

The Duhawks' regular season title marked the first for the program since the 2006-07 season. Under the direction of first year head coach Chris Martin, the Duhawks managed to win 18 games, the first time above .500 since the 2013-14 season.

After finishing with an 11-6 mark in conference play a year ago, Loras earned the No. 2 seed in the 2017 Iowa Conference tournament. After receiving a first round bye, the Duhawks fell to sixth-seeded Wartburg in the semifinals.

This year's favorite selected atop the Iowa Conference Preseason Poll is Nebraska Wesleyan. A year ago, the Prairie Wolves took home a share of the regular season conference title while returning four starters, three of which earning All-IIAC honors. The Prairie Wolves also return the IIAC MVP from a season ago in Cooper Cooke.

Nebraska Wesleyan topped the poll with 62 total points and six first place votes. Loras follow closely behind with 57 total points and two first place votes. Wartburg rounds out the top three after receiving 51 total points and one first place vote. Following the top three, Dubuque is picked to finish fourth with 38 total points and Simpson is slated to finish fifth with 31 total points. The bottom four of the poll in order are Central (28 points), Buena Vista (26 points), Coe (23 points) and Luther (8 points). 

Loras opens its season on the road at Lake Forest on Wednesday Nov. 15, with tip-off scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

Connect with the Duhawks all season long on social media by following @DuhawkMBB on Twitter and following Loras College Men's Basketball on Facebook. When the Duhawks are at home, tune in to the Duhawk Broadcast Network for live video and live stats on the SIDEARM Sports platform.