RSC gets three teams in NAIA DII Men's Basketball Preseason Top 25 Poll
RSC gets three teams in NAIA DII Men's Basketball Preseason Top 25 Poll
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- River States Conference men's basketball has three teams in the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll released Tuesday (Oct. 23) by the national office led by No. 2-ranked IU East. The RSC also has No. 13 WVU Tech and No. 20 IU Southeast in the national rankings to begin the year.
IU East is coming off a season of 34-3 last year to lead the country in victories. The Red Wolves received 294 votes in the poll, including one first-place vote. IU East reached the semifinals of the national tournament last year losing to eventual national champion Indiana Wesleyan, which is No. 1 this preseason and got the remaining 11 first-place votes.
WVU Tech made a big jump from the end of last year moving up from No. 25 to No. 13 this preseason. The Golden Bears were a national tournament team a year ago 20-12 overall, and they welcome back some key players for 2018-19.
IU Southeast starts the year ranked No. 20 after being 24-9 a year ago. The Grenadiers made the round of 16 at the national tourney and the RSC Tournament finals versus IU East.
For the complete NAIA DII Men's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll, click here. The rankings are also posted below.
2018-2019 NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll – Preseason (Oct. 23)
| RANK | LAST RANK* | SCHOOL (FIRST-PLACE VOTES) | 2017-2018 RECORD | POINTS |
| 1 | 4 | Indiana Wesleyan (11) | 31-7 | 312 |
| 2 | 1 | Indiana East (Ind.) (1) | 34-3 | 294 |
| 3 | 3 | College of Idaho | 30-7 | 292 |
| 4 | 5 | Morningside (Iowa) | 28-7 | 280 |
| 5 | 6 | Indiana Tech | 27-7 | 272 |
| 6 | 16 | Oklahoma Wesleyan | 26-9 | 259 |
| 7 | 2 | Cornerstone (Mich.) | 30-5 | 243 |
| 8 | 24 | Marian (Ind.) | 22-12 | 240 |
| 9 | 9 | Union (Ky.) | 23-8 | 237 |
| 10 | 11 | Briar Cliff (Iowa) | 26-8 | 229 |
| 11 | 21 | Southeastern (Fla.) | 21-10 | 202 |
| 12 | 21 | Oregon Tech | 22-11 | 201 |
| 13 | 25 | WVU Tech | 20-12 | 181 |
| 14 | 23 | Bellevue (Neb.) | 21-12 | 166 |
| 15 | RV | Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) | 18-14 | 165 |
| 16 | 7 | Saint Francis (Ind.) | 29-9 | 164 |
| 17 | 20 | Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) | 23-11 | 139 |
| 18 | 13 | Southwestern (Kan.) | 27-8 | 137 |
| 19 | NR | Warner (Fla.) | 20-16 | 131 |
| 20 | 15 | Indiana Southeast (Ind.) | 24-9 | 113 |
| 21 | RV | Trinity International (Ill.) | 21-11 | 112 |
| 22 | RV | Southern Oregon | 20-12 | 111 |
| 23 | 18 | Bethel (Ind.) | 22-10 | 81 |
| 23 | 12 | Warner Pacific (Ore.) | 24-10 | 81 |
| 25 | 8 | St. Thomas (Fla.) | 23-8 | 55 |
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* Last rank in the final regular-season poll of 2017-2018. Beginning last year, there is no longer a postseason poll.
Others receiving votes: Roosevelt (Ill.) 34, Antelope Valley (Calif.) 33, Milligan (Tenn.) 33, Rochester (Mich.) 31, Keiser (Fla.) 22, Voorhees (S.C.) 17, Friends (Kan.) 13, Mayville State (N.D.) 11, Doane (Neb.) 9