GRINNELL, Iowa – The Grinnell College basketball teams have both been picked to finish strongly in the Midwest Conference during the 2012-13 campaign.

The Pioneer men were picked to finish third in a vote of league coaches, while the women's squad was tabbed fifth.

St. Norbert College was selected as the preseason favorite on both the women's and men's sides. Four women's teams received first-place votes, with the Green Knights collecting five of those. Second-place Lake Forest College received two first-place votes, third-place Monmouth College received three and fourth-place Ripon College had one.

After Grinnell, Carroll University is picked sixth, followed by Illinois College, Cornell College, Knox College, Beloit College and Lawrence University.

The St. Norbert men received eight first-place votes and runner-up Carroll collected the other three.

After Grinnell, Lake Forest is fourth and Illinois College and Lawrence tied for fifth. Rounding out the list are Ripon in seventh, Beloit and Monmouth in an eighth-place tie, Cornell in 10th and Knox in 11th.