(FROM NAIA)

Seven teams still undefeated in the country

Dec. 7, 2009

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – No. 1 Mountain State (W. Va.) tops the first regular season edition of the 2009-2010 NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, announced by the NAIA office Monday. The Cougars, who stand a perfect 12-0 this year, check in with 308 total points and seven first-place votes. Mountain State moved up one spot from the Preseason poll and advanced to the Second Round of the 2009 National Championship. Since the start of the 1999-2000 season, Mountain State has been ranked the top team 40 times, the most of any school during that span.

 

Trailing the Cougars by just seven points is No. 2 Concordia (Calif.). With 301 total points and four first-place votes, the Eagles are a perfect 10-0 on the year. Three more undefeated teams round out the top five, No. 3 Oklahoma Baptist, No. 4 Oklahoma Christian and No. 5 Biola (Calif.). Oklahoma Baptist received the remaining first-place vote. Both Oklahoma Christian and Biola were big movers jumping up 14 and 12 spots, respectively. 

Eight programs hopped into the Top 25 after looking in from the outside during the Preseason Top 25 (Oct. 26). No. 7 Louisiana State University-Shreveport made perhaps one of the biggest leaps. The Pilots have gotten off to a 9-0 start thanks in large part to 3-point shooting, connecting on nearly 10 per game, which ranks third in the country. 

Preseason No. 1 Robert Morris (Ill.) dropped in the “receiving votes” category after a 5-6 start to the year. The non-ranking snaps a streak of 60-straight Top 25 mentions, which was the second-longest active streak. 

The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and independents. The second regular season Top 25 poll will be announced on Monday, Dec. 14. 

NOTES: Overall, there are seven teams undefeated thus far with Mountain State (W. Va.) holding the most wins (12)… Mountain State has now been mentioned in the Top 5 the last 33 straight polls (dating back to mid-season of the 2006-07 polls)… Coach Harry Statham of No. 12 McKendree (Ill.) recently earned career win No. 1,000 on Nov. 13 – he holds the most wins of any men’s basketball four-year college head coach (including NAIA and NCAA)… Mountain State has been in the Top 25 for the last 111 consecutive weeks, which is the longest active streak in Division I… Last year (in 13 polls), there were  six different No. 1 teams (Oklahoma City, California Baptist, Cumberlands (Ky.), Mountain State, Westminster (Utah) and Rogers State (Okla.))… Mountain State (W. Va.) has been No. 1 a total of 40 times since 2000, which marks the highest total of any program in that span – Robert Morris (Ill.) is next in line with 13 No. 1’s. 

2009-2010 NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – (Rating #1 – Dec. 7)

RANK	LAST WEEK^	SCHOOL (1st PLACE VOTES)	2009-10 RECORD*	TOTAL POINTS
1	2	Mountain State University (W.Va.) (7)	12-0	308
2	8	Concordia University (Calif.) (4)	10-0	301
3	4	Oklahoma Baptist University (1)	8-0	296
4	16	Oklahoma Christian University	9-0	274
5	17	Biola University (Calif.)	6-0	267
6	12	Lindenwood University (Mo.)	8-2	242
7	RV	Louisiana State University-Shreveport	9-0	240
8	3	Fresno Pacific University (Calif.)	7-1	233
9	RV	Pikeville College (Ky.)	8-1	232
10	11	Union University (Tenn.)	8-3	219
11	14	University of the Cumberlands (Ky.)	8-2	208
12	5	McKendree University (Ill.)	8-4	197
13	9	Westminster College (Utah)	6-4	188
14	RV	Saint Xavier University (Ill.)	9-2	172
15	NR	Southern Polytechnic State University (Ga.)	7-1	166
16	18	Freed-Hardeman University (Tenn.)	7-3	162
17	10	Texas Wesleyan University	6-3	142
18	RV	Southern Nazarene University (Okla.)	6-3	128
19	7	Georgetown College (Ky.)	7-2	124
20	NR	Benedictine College (Kan.)	8-2	108
21	21	Tougaloo College (Miss.)	5-1	104
22	RV	Westmont College (Calif.)	5-2	96
23	23	Life University (GA)	8-6	91
24	25	Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.)	5-3	84
25	NR	Shorter College (Ga.)	9-1	82

^ Reflects the final 2009-2010 Preseason Top 25 poll, Oct. 26, 2009

* Records as submitted by schools and raters