Jake Glisson and the Warner Pacific Knights are ranked fifth nationally in the first regular season NAIA poll of 2009-10.
Knights Lead 3 CCC Teams in NAIA Top 25 Poll
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Defending national champion Oklahoma Wesleyan notched all 15 first-place votes and holds the No. 1 spot in the
first regular season edition of the 2009-2010 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 poll, announced Monday by the NAIA office.
The Eagles have sprinted out to a 9-0 record and is currently on a 27-game winning streak, dating back to January of 2009. Oklahoma Wesleyan attempts to set the all-time Division II record with its 28th straight regular season win against Hillsdale Free Will Baptist on Dec. 4.
Just 13 points behind Oklahoma Wesleyan, No. 2 Bethel (Ind.) tallied 392 points in the poll. The Pilots moved up one position since the preseason ranking having won six straight to begin the year.
No. 3 Walsh (Ohio) improved three spots in the poll after a 6-0 start. The Cavs stand with 379 total points. Ranked tops in the country in scoring offense (105 ppg), Walsh has notched 100-plus points in three games.
Making one of the biggest upward moves, No. 4 Dordt (Iowa) was in the “receiving votes” category in the preseason. Dordt is a perfect 7-0 against NAIA competition with the only loss against NCAA Division II member Southwest Minnesota State.
Another impact team in the poll is No. 5 Warner Pacific (Ore.) of the Cascade Collegiate Conference. Leading the country with nearly eight blocks per game, the Knights improved 13 spots since the preseason. WPC is one of three CCC squads in the Top 25 -- Oregon Tech is at No. 11 and Eastern Oregon is at No. 23. Both College of Idaho and Evergreen are in the others receiving votes category.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and independents. The first regular season Top 25 poll will be announced on Monday, Nov. 30.
NOTES: In a game to watch in the future, Oklahoma Wesleyan is scheduled to play the NAIA Division I defending national champion Rocky Mountain (Mont.) on Dec. 19 in Billings, Mont… Oklahoma Wesleyan has now been ranked No. 1 in the last six polls… Oregon Tech and Walsh (Ohio) own the Division II active streak for longest run in the Top 25 at 53 straight weeks -- the last time either was not ranked was Jan. 11, 2005.