OSKALOOSA — The William Penn men’s basketball team is in familiar territory to open a season as the NAIA released its preseason top-25 poll Wednesday.
WPU, which was 30-4 last year and reached the NAIA National Championship Round of 16, begins the 2023-2024 campaign at #19 with 183 points. It is the 68th-consecutive time in which the navy and gold have been ranked in the top 25, dating all the way back to December 8, 2015.
WPU is one of the two programs from the Heart of America Athletic Conference in the poll as MidAmerica Nazarene is #17.
Defending national champion College of Idaho is a unanimous #1 to start the season, garnering 570 points and all 21 first-place votes. Grace (Ind.) is second, while Arizona Christian, Langston (Okla.), and Georgetown (Ky.) complete the top five.
The Statesmen opens the season Friday as it travels to Chicago, Ill. to take on East/West in the Governors State Classic at 5 p.m.
NAIA Men’s Basketball Preseason Rating — October 25, 2023
(Number in parentheses is first-place votes)
1. College of Idaho (21)
2. Grace (Ind.)
3. Arizona Christian
4. Langston (Okla.)
5. Georgetown (Ky.)
6. Montana Tech
7. Oklahoma Wesleyan
8. LSU Shreveport
9. Indiana Wesleyan
10. Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.)
11. St. Thomas (Fla.)
12. Union (Ky.)
13. Morningside
14. Huntington (Ind.)
15. The Master’s (Calif.)
16. Kansas Wesleyan
17. MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)
18. Wayland Baptist (Texas)
19. William Penn
20. Southwestern (Kan.)
21. Northwestern
22. Mobile (Ala.)
23. Antelope Valley (Calif.)
24. Indiana Tech
25. Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)
Receiving Votes: Faulkner (Ala.) 93, Lourdes (Ohio) 77, Xavier (La.) 75, Dordt 64, Eastern Oregon 62, Southeastern (Fla.) 61, Columbia (Mo.) 49, Florida College (Fla.) 48, Hope International (Calif.) 41, OUAZ (Ariz.) 39, Jamestown (N.D.) 33, Rio Grande (Ohio) 32, Life (Ga.) 31, Loyola (La.) 24, Cumberlands (Ky.) 18, SAGU (Texas) 16, Pikeville (Ky.) 15, Mayville State (N.D.) 11, Evangel (Mo.) 11, Rochester (Mich.) 7, Bethel (Ind.) 5, Oregon Tech 4, Marian (Ind.) 3, Tougaloo (Miss.) 2.
