Oskaloosa–Its lengthy win streak was snapped last week, but fortunately the loss did not provide much punishment to the Statesmen men’s basketball team as the NAIA released its third Division I rating Tuesday.
William Penn (14-2, 7-1 Heart) went 1-1 last week and only fell to #6 with 184 points. Avila (Mo.) joins WPU in the top 25 at #23, while Central Methodist (Mo.) and Benedictine (Kan.) are receiving votes at #27 and #28 unofficially.
Pikeville (Ky.) regains the #1 slot with 217 points and six first-place votes as former #1 and new #2 Georgetown (Ky.) (one first-place vote) lost; there are now no undefeated programs left in NAIA Division I. Columbia (Mo.), with the last two first-place nods, is tied for second, while LSU Alexandria and Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) round out the top five.
William Penn is home Thursday to host Central Methodist in Heart action at 7:30 p.m.
NAIA Men’s Basketball Rating #3 – January 12, 2016
(Number in parentheses is first-place votes)
1. Pikeville (Ky.) (6)
2. Georgetown (Ky.) (1)
2. Columbia (Mo.) (2)
4. LSU-Alexandria
5. Lewis-Clarke State (Idaho)
6. William Penn
7. Arizona Christian
8. Talladega (Ala.)
9. Hope International (Calif.)
10. Biola (Calif.)
11. Texas Wesleyan
12. Carroll (Mont.)
13. Langston (Okla.)
14. Xavier (La.)
15. Mid-America Christian (Okla.)
16. Westmont (Calif.)
17. Mobile (Ala.)
18. SAGU (Texas)
19. Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.)
20. Park (Mo.)
21. Campbellsville (Ky.)
22. Dalton State (Ga.)
23. Avila (Mo.)
24. Wayland Baptist (Texas)
25. William Woods (Mo.)
Others receiving votes: Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) 41; Central Methodist (Mo.) 38; Benedictine (Kan.) 17; Montana Western 13; Vanguard (Calif.) 12; Cumberlands (Ky.) 11; Middle Georgia State 10; Tougaloo (Miss.) 7; Wiley (Texas) 6.
Story provided by Wade Steinlage
