The Midwest Conference released its 2021-22 Mens Basketball Coaches Poll on Thursday and Lake Forest College was listed fourth in the rankings.
Voting is done by the MWC head men's basketball coaches. Each coach votes for the other eight schools in the league in order of predicted finish. Points are assigned in reverse order of voting (eight points for first, seven for second, etc.). Coaches may not vote for their own teams.
Ripon College was atop the poll with 63 points and garnered all but two of the first place votes. Cornell College received the other two first-place votes and was second in the rankings with 55 points. The next three teams were separated by just five points with Illinois College at 43, Lake Forest 42, and Grinnell College at 38.
The Foresters return eight players that saw action during an abbreviated schedule last spring but only three who played in 2019-20, the league's last full season. Among the returners are Sean Espinosa, a two-time First Team All-MWC point guard, and Johnny Roeser, the team's leading scorer and rebounder last spring.
After six years as an assistant coach at the College, Ryan Davis will make his collegiate head coaching debut at Aurora University on Friday. Lake Forest will play its home opener against the University of Chicago on Saturday, November 13, and will begin league play at Grinnell College a week later. The top four teams in the conference will qualify for the MWC Tournament, which will be hosted by the league champion February 25-26.
Based on the preseason coaches poll, the Foresters are predicted to reach their sixth consecutive MWC Tournament, easily the longest streak in program history.
| PLACE | TEAM (First Place Votes) | POINTS |
| 1 | Ripon College (7) | 63 |
| 2 | Cornell College (2) | 55 |
| 3 | Illinois College | 43 |
| 4 | Lake Forest College | 42 |
| 5 | Grinnell College | 38 |
| 6 | Monmouth College | 29 |
| 7 | Lawrence University | 25 |
| 8 | Knox College | 16 |
| 9 | Beloit College | 13 |
