RSC favorites IU East, Asbury ranked just outside #NAIADIIWBB Top 25 Preseason Poll
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The two favorites in River States Conference women's basketball are ranked just outside the NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll released Tuesday (Oct. 25) by the NAIA office.
RSC preseason favorite Indiana University East is just outside the Top 25 and 26th overall in the "others receiving votes" category. Asbury (Ky.) University is right behind and also receiving votes at 30th overall.
It's the first time IU East received votes in the national preseason poll, and it is just two points shy of cracking the rankings. The Red Wolves are coming off of a 22-11 season that included a conference division championship and the program's first appearance at the NAIA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship.
Asbury was 24-10 last year and ended the season at No. 18 in the nation after advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NAIA Division II national tournament. The Eagles won their second conference tournament championship in a row and made their second-straight appearance in nationals.
Reigning national champion Marian University is the No. 1 team in the preseason poll. The complete rankings are below.
2016 NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll - Preseason (Oct. 25)
| RANK | LAST WEEK^ | SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) | 2016 Record | TOTAL POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Marian (Ind.) (12) | 32-6 | 312 |
| 2 | 2 | Southern Oregon | 33-2 | 296 |
| 3 | 8 | Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) | 27-9 | 283 |
| 4 | 3 | Morningside (Iowa) | 33-3 | 280 |
| 5 | 13 | St. Francis (Ill.) | 28-5 | 277 |
| 6 | 7 | Saint Xavier (Ill.) | 30-4 | 262 |
| 7 | 8 | College of the Ozarks (Mo.) | 28-5 | 254 |
| 8 | 11 | Davenport (Mich.) | 28-6 | 240 |
| 9 | 12 | Indiana Wesleyan | 27-8 | 227 |
| 10 | 10 | Tabor (Kan.) | 28-8 | 218 |
| 11 | 4 | Goshen (Ind.) | 27-9 | 209 |
| 12 | 16 | Jamestown (N.D.) | 29-5 | 190 |
| 13 | 22 | Purdue Northwest (Ind.) | 22-9 | 187 |
| 14 | 19 | Concordia (Neb.) | 22-10 | 186 |
| 15 | 14 | Briar Cliff (Iowa) | 23-10 | 178 |
| 16 | 6 | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | 29-6 | 172 |
| 17 | RV | Eastern Oregon | 21-10 | 116 |
| 18 | 20 | St. Ambrose (Iowa) | 22-10 | 107 |
| 19 | 14 | Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) | 25-8 | 98 |
| 20 | 17 | Oregon Tech | 26-9 | 94 |
| 21 | RV | IU Northwest | 22-10 | 89 |
| 22 | 24 | Dickinson State (N.D.) | 23-9 | 87 |
| 23 | NR | Madonna (Mich.) | 17-11 | 85 |
| 24 | 25 | Milligan (Tenn.) | 23-8 | 76 |
| 25 | 20 | Haskell (Kan.) | 23-7 | 71 |
Dropped from the rankings: No. 5 Mount Marty (S.D.); No. 18 Asbury (Ky.); No. 23 Lawrence Tech (Mich.)
Others receiving votes: Indiana East 69; Friends (Kan.) 64; Indiana Tech 46; Northwestern (Iowa) 36; Asbury (Ky.) 31; Bryan (Tenn.) 24; Southeastern (Fla.) 19; Hastings (Neb.) 19; Lawrence Tech (Mich.) 17; Taylor (Ind.) 17; Oklahoma Wesleyan 9.