KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The West Liberty University men’s basketball team moved up to No. 8 on Tuesday when the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) released its fifth NCAA Division II weekly poll of the 2021-22 regular season.
This week’s rankings include all games played before the NCAA Division II mandatory holiday break from Dec. 21-27. A limited number of games are on tap beginning tonight before second semester action gets under way next week.
Coach Ben Howlett’s Hilltoppers (10-1) closed out their pre-holiday slate in convincing fashion, blasting Wilmington (Del.), 108-74, on Dec. 20. It was the sixth straight win for the Black and Gold, who moved up one spot in the poll after being ranked No. 9 the previous week.
This is the 193rdNCAA Division II Top 25 ranking for the WLU program and the 157thtime West Liberty has been ranked in the Top 10.
The top two teams remained unchanged with unbeaten Lubbock Christian (12-0) at No. 1 and defending national champion Northwest Missouri State (11-1) at No. 2. There was considerable shuffling behind the two front-runners, however, as four of the Top 10 teams from the previous poll were upset victims.
Mercyhurst (10-1) dropped from No. 3 to No. 7 after its first loss of the season while Indiana, Pa. (10-1) fell from 6thto 10thafter also dropping from the ranks of the unbeaten. Augusta, Ga. (9-1) slipped from No. 8 to No. 12 and Lincoln Memorial, Tenn. (9-2) plummeted from No. 10 to No. 17 after a two-point road loss at No. 16 Queens, N.C. (11-2).
Nova Southeastern, Fla. (10-0) and Chico State, Calif. (9-0) each moved up a spot to finish off the top five. Less than 10 votes separated the next three teams – Cal State-San Bernardino (10-1), Mercyhurst and West Liberty – with unbeaten Minnesota-Duluth (13-0) and IUP rounding out the top 10.
Fairmont State (9-2) held onto a Top 25 spot at No. 24, bouncing back with a pair of impressive wins following a road loss at Glenville State in overtime.
The Hilltoppers will close out their non-conference schedule on Monday when they host Bowie State (Md.) out of the CIAA in a 4 p.m. game at the ASRC. Mountain East Conference action resumes on Jan. 5 when West Liberty welcomes Concord to town for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
NCAA Division II Top 25
(Dec. 28, 2021)
Team (FPV) Rec Pts Pvs
1. Lubbock Christian, Texas (13) 12-0 397 1
2. NW Missouri State (3) 11-1 387 2
3. West Texas A&M 13-1 360 4
4. Nova Southeastern, Fla. 10-0 352 5
5. Chico State, Calif. 9-0 336 7
6. Cal State-San Bernardino 10-1 288 12
7. Mercyhurst, Pa. 10-1 285 3
8. WEST LIBERTY 10-1 280 9
9. Minnesota Duluth 13-0 269 17
10. Indiana, Pa. 9-1 263 6
11. Cal State San Marcos 9-0 233 15
12. Augusta, Ga. 9-1 200 8
13. Upper Iowa 12-1 183 24
14. Dominican, N.Y. 9-1 170 18
15. Barry, Fla. 8-1 160 19
16. Queens, N.C. 11-2 152 21
17. Lincoln Memorial, Tenn. 9-2 143 10
18. Embry-Riddle, Fla. 11-2 116 11
19. Truman State, Mo. 7-2 90 20
20. Regis, Colo. 10-1 85 NR
21. Hillsdale, Mich. 9-2 78 13
22. West Florida 11-1 59 NR
23. Ferris State, Mich. 9-2 54 16
24. FAIRMONT STATE 9-2 50 14
25. Georgia College 9-1 44 NR
Others receiving votes: UNC Pembroke 36, Flagler (Fla.) 35, Augustana (S.D.) 17, Central Oklahoma 11, Texas A&M-Commerce 10, Angelo State (Texas) 8, Columbus State (Ga.) 8, Fort Hays State (Kan.) 8, SE Oklahoma State 8, Texas-Tyler 6, Bentley (Mass.) 5, Southwest Baptist (Mo.) 5, Grand Valley State (Mich.) 4, Union (Tenn.) 3, Emporia State (Kan.) 1