| As the calendar has reached the final week of 2017, the top three spots remain unchanged in the NABC/Division II coaches poll, but losses by the three teams that followed them just prior to the NCAA Division II winter break has caused a shakeup throughout the rankings.
No. 1 Northwest Missouri State bumped off No. 4 Lincoln Memorial on Dec. 19 to hold onto the top spot, while Queens (N.C.) and Bellarmine – who also picked up a win over a top 25 team just before the break – stayed at second and third, respectively.
Lincoln Memorial’s loss to Northwest dropped it to sixth, allowing a pair of undefeated teams–West Liberty and Christian Brothers–to complete the top five. The losses also allowed the next three teams (Barry, UT-Permian Basin and Arkansas-Fort Smith) to move up two spots apiece as well.
Ferris State slipped back to 10th after its Dec. 16 setback at Lake Superior State, with West Texas A&M sliding up to 11th ahead of Colorado School of Mines, who had a six-spot drop as the result of a loss to MSU Denver.
Northern State stayed at No. 13 this week and Western Oregon moved up two spots to 14th, with Lake Superior State moving up three thanks to the win over Ferris State.
West Florida – one of the nine remaining undefeated teams in NCAA Division II when the schedule resumes on Dec. 28 – came in at No. 16 this week, followed by Dallas Baptist, Virginia State, Southern New Hampshire and Texas A&M-Commerce, who rose two spots even after its one-point road loss at Arkansas-Fort Smith on Dec. 16.
The final five teams in this week’s poll are Wheeling Jesuit, Fort Lewis and three teams that were unranked in the most recent poll – Findlay, Eckerd and West Chester. Eckerd and West Chester are appearing in the top 25 for the first time this year.
The first games following the break will take place on Dec. 28 with seven games on the slate. Bellarmine returns to action on Dec. 30, hosting Martin Methodist College in a 7 p.m. contest.
NABC/Division II Rankings
(Dec. 26, 2017 – Poll #5) |
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Record |
Points |
Last |
| 1. |
Northwest Missouri St. (15) |
11-0 |
399 |
1 |
| 2. |
Queens, N.C. (1) |
12-0 |
375 |
2 |
| 3. |
Bellarmine, Ky. |
10-0 |
370 |
3 |
| 4. |
West Liberty, W.Va. |
11-0 |
352 |
7 |
| 5. |
Christian Brothers, Tenn. |
11-0 |
333 |
8 |
| 6. |
Lincoln Memorial, Tenn. |
11-1 |
313 |
4 |
| 7. |
Barry, Fla. |
8-1 |
290 |
9 |
| 8. |
UT-Permian Basin |
9-1 |
266 |
10 |
| 9. |
Arkansas-Fort Smith |
12-0 |
262 |
11 |
| 10. |
Ferris State, Mich. |
13-1 |
258 |
5 |
| 11. |
West Texas A&M |
11-1 |
243 |
12 |
| 12. |
Colorado School of Mines |
11-1 |
229 |
6 |
| 13. |
Northern State, S.D. |
12-1 |
218 |
13 |
| 14. |
Western Oregon |
11-1 |
194 |
16 |
| 15. |
Lake Superior State, Mich. |
11-1 |
185 |
18 |
| 16. |
West Florida |
11-0 |
155 |
21 |
| 17. |
Dallas Baptist, Texas |
10-1 |
104 |
24 |
| 18. |
Virginia State |
9-1 |
92 |
17 |
| 19. |
Southern New Hampshire |
9-1 |
86 |
25 |
| 20. |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
11-1 |
72 |
22 |
| 21. |
Wheeling Jesuit, W.Va. |
9-2 |
68 |
14 |
| 22. |
Fort Lewis, Colo. |
9-2 |
62 |
15 |
| 23. |
Findlay, Ohio |
12-2 |
46 |
NR |
| 24. |
Eckerd, Fla. |
11-1 |
36 |
NR |
| 25. |
West Chester, Pa. |
9-0 |
32 |
NR |
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| Others receiving votes:Â Francis Marion (S.C.) 28, Valdosta State (Ga.) 23, Morehouse (Ga.) 19, Le Moyne (N.Y.) 16, William Jewell (Mo.) 16, Cal Poly Pomona 12, Minot State (N.D.) 11, Chico State (Calif.) 10, California Baptist 6, Arkansas Tech 4, Texas A&M-Kingsville 4, Regis (Colo.) 2, Cal State San Marcos 1, Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 1.
Dropped out:Â Valdosta State (19), Le Moyne (20), Texas A&M-Kingsville (23).
Records are through games of Dec. 19, 2017. |
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