NAIA Men’s Basketball Releases Fifth Coaches’ Poll
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The fifth NAIA Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 poll brings clarity at the top and chaos beneath it, as Grace (Ind.) and Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) continue to separate themselves while everyone else reshuffles in a big way. The Lancers remain the nation’s standard behind elite efficiency and balanced scoring, while the Lions’ physical, mistake-forcing style keeps them firmly planted at No. 2. Behind them, Indiana Wesleyan makes the week’s biggest leap into the top five, and Nelson (Texas) cracks the top 10 for the first time this season. Rocky Mountain (Mont.) and IU Kokomo (Ind.) join the top 25 after receiving votes in the previous release.
TREND RANK LAST TIME INSITIUTION [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] RECORD POINTS
● 1 1 Grace (Ind.) [17] 20-0 509
● 2 2 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) [1] 20-1 493
▲ 3 4 Oklahoma Wesleyan 18-2 476
▲ 4 5 Ave Maria (Fla.) 19-2 430
▲ 5 11 Indiana Wesleyan 17-3 410
▲ 6 8 Cumberlands (Ky.) 17-3 391
▲ 7 10 Arizona Christian 16-5 376
▲ 8 17 Nelson (Texas) 16-3 361
▼ 9 7 Langston (Okla.) 15-4 345
▼ 10 3 Bethel (Ind.) 17-3 331
▼ 11 6 Keiser (Fla.) 16-3 299
▲ 12 13 Indiana Tech 16-3 283
▼ 13 12 Pikeville (Ky.) 17-3 277
▼ 14 9 Hope International (Calif.) 16-4 253
● 15 15 LSU Shreveport (La.) 15-4 250
▲ 16 22 Columbia (Mo.) 18-2 237
▼ 17 14 Friends (Kan.) 16-4 230
● 18 18 Georgetown (Ky.) 15-5 205
▲ 19 23 William Carey (Miss.) 19-1 181
▼ 20 15 Montana Tech 16-4 179
▼ 21 20 Graceland (Iowa) 18-3 150
▼ 22 21 Oregon Tech 15-5 137
▲ 23 RV Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 17-3 124
▼ 24 23 Taylor (Ind.) 16-4 113
▲ 25 RV IU Kokomo (Ind.) 18-2 79
Dropped from Top 25: Benedictine-Mesa (Ariz.), Bethel (Kan.)
Receiving Votes: Morningside (Iowa) 76; Benedictine-Mesa (Ariz.) 63; Southeastern (Fla.) 51; Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 29; Huntington (Ind.) 21; LSU Alexandria (La.) 18; Northwestern (Iowa) 18; Bethel (Kan.) 15; Loyola (La.) 11; Shawnee State (Ohio) 11; The Master’s (Calif.) 10; Texas Wesleyan 7; Bellevue (Neb.) 5