Minot State moved up four spots

In what can be called a roller coaster ride in the NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 poll, Minot State moved up four spots to No. 19 this week the league announced Monday.

After holding down the second spot in each of the last six polls, No. 1 Walsh (Oho) moves up to the top billing.. Walsh is ranked the top team for the first time since Dec. 7, 1997. Oklahoma Wesleyan, ranked No. 2 this week, was the top team for the last 12 straight polls before losing on Jan. 30 and Feb. 2. Walsh earned eight first-place votes and 429 points, while Oklahoma Wesleyan was a close second at seven first-place nods and 426 points.

Winners in 13 of its last 14 games and six in-a-row, Walsh has dominated competition winning by an average of over 33 points. The Cavs are tied for the most wins in the nation with a 23-2 record and leads the American Mideast Conference South Division by 1 ½ games with an 11-1 log. Walsh takes on Shawnee State (Ohio) on Saturday in its only game this week. The Cavs upended Shawnee State 118-62 back on Jan. 15 in the team’s first meeting.

Oklahoma Wesleyan fell one spot after a two-game losing streak. The Eagles rebounded from a 75-73 loss to Ozarks (Mo.) on Feb. 2 with an 85-69 victory at home against then-No. 11 Bellevue (Neb.) on Feb. 6. Oklahoma Wesleyan relies on the long ball, leading the NAIA in 3-pointers per game (13.0). In 21 games, the Eagles have connected on at least 10 treys. Standing at 22-2 overall, the Eagles face a busy week with four games starting with Ecclesia (Ark.) on Feb. 8.

Oregon Tech earns the No. 3 position for the fifth straight week. For the first time this year, Oregon Tech earned one first-place vote and collected 404 total points. The Hustlin’ Owls, who are 23-4 overall, 12-3 in the Cascade Collegiate Conference, handed coach Danny Miles win No. 899 on Feb. 6 against Northwest (Wash.). Oregon Tech has won 12 of its last 13 and attempts to extend the hot streak with a game at home against Southern Oregon on Saturday.

Behind three 25-point blow-out wins last week, No. 4 Indiana-Southeast holds strong in the poll with 395 total points. The Grenadiers have now held the fourth slot for the last four weeks. Indiana Wesleyan, who is 20-3 overall and a Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference best 9-0, take on Ohio Dominican on Tuesday.  Holding a 12-game winning streak, Indiana-Southeast is 20-0 against NAIA Division II competition with the three setbacks coming against NAIA Division I and NCAA teams.

For the second straight week, Indiana Wesleyan ties a season-high with a No. 5 ranking. The Wildcats have won 17 of their last 18 games and have made an impact on the national radar after not being ranked in three of the first four polls. Indiana Wesleyan holds a 22-4 record and takes its Mid-Central College Conference leading 10-2 record into a road game at No. 7 Saint Francis (Ind.) on Tuesday. USF is one game back in the conference standings and fell to Indiana Wesleyan, 104-81 in the season’s first meeting.

The Mid-Central College Conference (MCCC) and Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) each place four teams in the Top 25 – from the MCCC, Indiana Wesleyan, Saint Francis (Ind.), No. 8 Bethel (Ind.) and No. 22 Spring Arbor (Mich.). The CCC has Oregon Tech, No. 13 Eastern Oregon, No. 21 Evergreen State (Wash.) and No. 23 (tie) Warner Pacific (Ore.).

No. 20 Hastings (Neb.) and No. 25 Black Hills State (S.D.) are new mentions in the Top 25. This ranking is the first for Hastings since Jan. 16, 2008 when the Broncos were No. 22. BHSU was ranked four weeks ago (No. 24) and now has been recognized six times this year.

The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and independents. The ninth regular season Top 25 poll will be announced on Feb. 15.

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NOTES: In available records (starting prior to 1991-92 season), Walsh (Ohio) has been ranked No. 1 on just two occasions (today and Dec. 7, 1997)… Fisher (Mass.) holds the nation’s longest active winning streak at 20 games – it is receiving votes this week… Two teams dropped out from last week’s poll, No. 21 Siena Heights (Mich.) and No. 24 Concordia (Neb.)… No. 1 Walsh (Ohio) and No. 3 Oregon Tech have the most wins in Division II with 23… No. 2 Oklahoma Wesleyan has been ranked No. 1 on 12 occasions, which is tied with Oregon Tech for the second-highest total since 2000 trailing only Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (17)… No. 3 Oregon Tech and Walsh (Ohio) own the Division II active streak for longest run in the Top 25 at 60 straight weeks -- the last time either was not ranked was Jan. 11, 2005.

2009-2010 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – (Rating #8 – Feb. 8)

Others receiving votes: College of the Ozarks (Mo.) 87; Friends University (Kan.) 76; Fisher College (Mass.) 64; Siena Heights University (Mich.) 62; California State University-Maritime 16; Ashford University (Iowa) 15; Concordia University (Neb.) 11; McPherson College (Kan.) 11; Brescia University (Ky.) 4; Central Christian College (Kan.) 3; Notre Dame College (Ohio) 3; Briar Cliff University (Iowa) 1; Valley City State University (N.D.) 1; Johnson & Wales University (Colo.) 1; Tennessee Wesleyan College 1; Aquinas College (Mich.) 1