HELENA -- Montana Tech's men's basketball program will begin the quest for a five-peat as the Frontier Conference favorite. 

The four-time defending conference champions checked in atop the Frontier's preseason coaches' poll, the league office announced Monday morning. Tech received 11 first-place votes and a perfect 121 points in the survey. 

In-state rivals Montana Western and Carroll tied for second at 89 points, and Western received the remaining first-place nod. Providence claimed fourth with 81 points, and conference newbie Dickinson State sat fifth with 75. 

Montana Tech enjoyed yet another banner year in 2024-25, becoming the first team in Frontier Conference history to win both a fourth-straight regular-season and tournament championship. The Orediggers were 24-7 and earned an NAIA tournament berth for a fourth-consecutive year. 

A strong core returns from that team, highlighted by 2024-25 Frontier player of the year and defensive player of the year Hayden Diekhans and former conference sixth-man of the year Camdyn LaRance, both back for their senior seasons. 

The Orediggers' path of a fifth-straight title will look a bit different with a new cast of characters on the schedule. Former North Star Athletic Association members Bellevue, Dakota State, Dickinson State, Mayville State, and Valley City State joined the league, as did Bismarck State, which is in the first year of its transition from a junior college to four-year institution. 

Now with 12 teams, the Frontier will receive two automatic bids to the NAIA national tournament. Both the regular-season and tournament champions will get berths, with the regular-season runner-up earning the second should the same team win both trophies. 

Montana Tech will play host to the 2026 Frontier Conference tournament February 28-March 2 at the Butte Civic Center. 

The Orediggers will start their trek toward a fifth-straight championship at home Saturday against Eastern Oregon. Tip is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.