Oredigger Men at #11 in latest NAIA Coaches’ Poll

The first NAIA coaches' poll of 2025 has been released with the Montana Tech Orediggers just outside the top 10.  The following is a release from the Montana Tech Sports Information Department.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Montana Tech's men's basketball team begins 2025 ranked 11th in the first NAIA coaches' poll of the year, the national office announced Wednesday morning.

The Orediggers sport a 14-2 record so far this season and carry a 2-1 Frontier Conference mark after the first week of league play. Tech went 4-2 in the layoff between the latest poll in December, including a victory over then-No. 4 Arizona Christian on December 16.

Montana Tech remains the highest-ranked Frontier team in the poll. Conference rival Rocky Mountain jumped into the top 25 this week as well, checking in at No. 19.

Georgetown (Ky.) remained the top team in the voting, carrying 17 of the 20 first-place votes. No. 2 Freed-Hardeman received two top nods, and No. 3 Northwestern (Iowa) snagged the other.

Montana Tech remains in the thick of conference play this week. The Orediggers head to Montana Western for a 7 p.m. contest Thursday before playing host to Providence Saturday at 4 p.m.

2024-25 NAIA Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll - No. 4

Dropped from Top 25: Our Lady of the Lake (Texas), Graceland (Iowa), Indiana Wesleyan, Morningside (Iowa), Rio Grande (Ohio), Oklahoma Wesleyan

Receiving Votes: Concordia (Neb.) 76, Oregon Tech 67, St. Francis (Ill.) 62, Cumberlands (Ky.) 55, Columbia International (S.C.) 49, Life (Ga.) 49, Nelson (Texas) 43, Spring Arbor (Mich.) 38, Saint Francis (Ind.) 36, Saint Mary (Kan.) 35, Indiana Tech 17, William Carey (Miss.) 15, Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) 14, Friends (Kan.) 13, Graceland (Iowa) 12, Texas Wesleyan 6, Faulkner (Ala.) 5, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (Ind.) 2, Indiana Wesleyan 2, Tougaloo (Miss.) 2, Columbia (S.C.) 2

Rating Methodology:

• The NAIA Men's Basketball Poll is for publicity purposes only and has no weight or bearing in the selection process for national championship field consideration
• The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and Continental Athletic Conference (Independents)
• The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each voter ranks the best teams. A team receives 30 points for each first-place vote, 29 for second place and so on through the list
• The highest and lowest ranking for each team (a non-rating is considered a low ratings) is removed
• Teams that receive only one point in the ballot are not considered "receiving votes"
• Frequency of polls occur bi-weekly
• Records listed are as of the end of the day on Monday of the poll week

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