Oredigger Men re-enter NAIA Top Ten
Montana Tech (20-4, 10-1 Frontier) has gone 4-0 since the last poll, winning each game by an average of 22.5 points. With four games left in the regular season, the Orediggers lead the Frontier by one game over Carroll College.
Montana Tech has a pair of home games this week, with Rocky in town Thursday, and the Saints on Saturday for Senior Day. The Orediggers will finish the regular season on the road, with stops at Western next Thursday, and Providence a week from Saturday.
Montana Tech remains the only Frontier Conference team in the poll.
Grace (Ind.) received all first-place vote for the fifth consecutive week to stay in the lead in the sixth edition of the NAIA Men's Basketball Coaches' Poll. The Lancers are still undefeated on the year with a perfect 24-0 record as of Tuesday. Langston (Okla.) checked-in at No. 2 again while College of Idaho and Oklahoma Wesleyan followed suit at Nos. 3-4. Cumberlands (Ky.) advanced to the top five this week as well. MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) had the largest positive movement, up an impressive 10 spots to No. 15. Madonna (Mich.), The Master's (Calif.) and SAGU (Texas) all advanced into the poll this week after receiving votes in the last poll, while a surging Concordia (Neb.) squad cracked the Top 25 for the first time this season.
Poll 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
RANK | LAST TIME | SCHOOL [First Place Votes] | RECORD | FINAL POINTS |
1 | 1 | Grace (Ind.) [20] | 24-0 | 540 |
2 | 2 | Langston (Okla.) | 23-1 | 514 |
3 | 3 | College of Idaho | 22-2 | 504 |
4 | 4 | Oklahoma Wesleyan | 23-1 | 493 |
5 | 8 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 21-2 | 465 |
6 | 5 | Indiana Wesleyan | 21-3 | 446 |
7 | 10 | Tennessee Southern | 23-2 | 428 |
8 | 6 | Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) | 20-4 | 415 |
9 | 9 | Southwestern (Kan.) | 20-3 | 392 |
10 | 11 | Montana Tech | 20-4 | 386 |
11 | 14 | Roosevelt (Ill.) | 20-3 | 353 |
12 | 12 | Northwestern (Iowa) | 19-5 | 305 |
13 | 7 | Lourdes (Ohio) | 19-3 | 275 |
14 | RV | Madonna (Mich.) | 20-4 | 258 |
15 | 25 | MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) | 20-4 | 251 |
16 | 23 | Oregon Tech | 20-4 | 242 |
17 | 22 | Point Park (Pa.) | 23-2 | 238 |
18 | 21 | Florida College | 22-4 | 218 |
19 | 20 | Mobile (Ala.) | 20-5 | 189 |
20 | RV | The Master's (Calif.) | 19-6 | 182 |
21 | NR | Concordia (Neb.) | 19-5 | 170 |
22 | 18 | Bethel (Ind.) | 18-6 | 141 |
23 | 13 | Georgetown (Ky.) | 18-6 | 139 |
24 | 16 | Arizona Christian | 18-7 | 112 |
25 | RV | SAGU (Texas) | 17-7 | 78 |
Dropped from the Top 25: Florida Memorial, Ave Maria (Fla.), LSU Shreveport (La.), Morningside (Iowa)
Receiving Votes: Florida Memorial 76, St. Thomas (Fla.) 66, Central Baptist (Ark.) 65, Union (Ky.) 65, Antelope Valley (Calif.) 62, Texas College 41, OUAZ (Ariz.) 36, Marian (Ind.) 28, Ave Maria (Fla.) 17, LSU Alexandria (La.) 15, LSU Shreveport (La.) 13, Morningside (Iowa) 12, Kansas Wesleyan 9, St. Mary-Woods (Ind.) 8, Columbia (Mo.) 8, Baker (Kan.) 6, Pikeville (Ky.) 4.
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