WILMINGTON, Del. – The West Liberty University men’s basketball team checked in at No. 7 on Wednesday when the Division II Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA) released its annual NCAA Division II Preseason Top 25 Media Poll.
It’s the second lofty national ranking for Coach Ben Howlett’s defending NCAA Division II Atlantic Region championship squad as the veteran-laden Hilltoppers were ranked No. 14 in the annual preseason poll conducted by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
Northwest Missouri State, which ended West Liberty’s postseason run in the 2021 NCAA Division II Elite Eight national quarterfinals, was a unanimous pick for No. 1 with Flagler (Fla.), West Texas A&M, Lubbock (Texas) Christian and Hillsdale (Mich.) rounding out the top five. The Hilltoppers defeated Hillsdale, 78-61, in the Atlantic Region championship game this past March.
Indiana (Pa.), which played just an abbreviated 3-game schedule in 2020-21 due to the pandemic, edged out West Liberty for the No. 6 spot in the voting. Valdosta State (Ga.) was No. 8 followed by Nova Southeastern (Fla.) and Colorado Mesa.
Defending Mountain East Conference Tournament champion Fairmont State is ranked No. 23 with the University of Charleston, which fell to WLU in the Atlantic Region semifinals, among teams also receiving votes on multiple ballots.
The D2SIDA Media Poll is conducted by a nationwide panel of NCAA Division II sports information directors with equal representation from each of the eight NCAA Division II regions. The first regular season D2SIDA Media Poll will be released on Nov. 17.
West Liberty tips off the 2021-22 season at home next week in an Atlantic Region Crossover event. The Hilltoppers will take on Winston-Salem (N.C.) State in a 5:30 p.m. game on Nov. 12 before meeting Shippensburg (Pa.) in a 6 p.m. tilt on Nov. 13.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
D2SIDA National Media Poll
(November 23, 2020)
Team (FPV) Rec Pts
1. NW Missouri State (15) 375 29-2
2. Flagler 334 18-3
3. West Texas A&M 314 19-3
4. Lubbock Christian 298 18-3
5. Hillsdale 293 21-3
6. Indiana (Pa.) 252 2-1
7. WEST LIBERTY 239 18-5
8. Valdosta State 228 17-5
9. Nova Southeastern 226 DNP
10. Colorado Mesa 212 21-2
11. Washburn 210 20-7
12. St. Thomas Aquinas 202 14-2
13. Point Loma 196 8-3
14. Queens (N.C.) 191 16-6
15. Truman State 189 20-3
16. Saint Anselm 168 DNP
17. Colorado School of Mines 140 18-2
18. Southern Indiana 139 12-5
19. Lincoln Memorial 138 19-4
20. Seattle Pacific 87 10-3
21. Mercyhurst 78 12-1
22. Lee 61 15-6
23. FAIRMONT STATE 55 15-5
24. Daemen 47 10-6
25. Minnesota State-Moorhead 38 11-5
Others Receiving Votes (on multiple ballots): Dallas Baptist 35; Northern State 25; Alabama-Huntsville 19; Chico State 18; Findlay 16;CHARLESTON 11;Ashland 11; Florida Southern 8; Oklahoma Baptist 6; Emmanuel 6