Down goes Washburn! The Ichabods — who had held tight at No. 1 or 2 since the new year began — lost a pair of games this past week, leaving Daemen as the last undefeated team standing in DII men’s basketball. While the red-hot Nova Southeastern Sharks keep winning and hold on to No. 1, the rest of the Power 10 has shifted.
This week was another mess in the top 10 as Point Loma, Missouri S&T and Valdosta State also all picked up losses. This has easily been the trickiest year to stay in the top 10 and makes judging which losses matter more that much harder.
DII MEN’S BASKETBALL CENTRAL
The Power 10 rankings are mine and mine alone. There are no voters or committee — I combine metrics the selection committee favors come March (I use Inkblot Sports RPI in my rankings and now the KPI from Faktor Sports) with my notes from coaches, and what I hear and see around the division. This often leads to a different top 10 that you’ll see in the national polls and that is precisely why I started the Power 10 rankings more than half a decade ago.
The eighth Power 10 of the regular season
(games through Sunday, Feb. 16)
No. 1 Nova Southeastern | Previous: 1. This was the easiest pick of the bunch and the only team to stand pat after a week of chaos. The Sharks continue to hold the top overall RPI and KPI, lead DII in scoring, scoring margin and assist-to-turnover ratio and are second in both field-goal percentage and steals per game. They also have three players on the Bevo Francis top 50 watchlist in MJ Iraldi, Dallas Graziani and Ryker Cisarik.
No. 2 UAH | Previous: 3. How this team was No. 4 in the last national rankings is astonishing, but I suppose Washburn hadn’t lost a game yet. The Chargers are tied for the longest winning streak at any level, having won 24 in a row since their opening-night, one-point loss to those guys right above them in the Power 10. They have played a relatively tough schedule and if they were in any other region in DII, they would be the No. 1 team by a landslide, even over undefeated Daemen.
No. 3 Daemen | Previous: 4. Did someone say undefeated Daemen? The Wildcats are now 23-0, thanks in large part to the third-best scoring defense in DII. So, why are they still behind the Sharks and Chargers? It’s simply about metrics. The South Region — statistically speaking — is much more difficult, and Daemen — although with great metrics — are simply behind both. That said, Justin Hemphill and Benjamin Bill are both on the Bevo Francis watchlist, and if this team loses before the DII finals, it would be a complete surprise.
No. 4 West Liberty | Previous: 6. The Hilltoppers do something that many others haven’t: keep winning. They have now won nine in a row, and that includes an exclamation point of a win over nationally ranked Fairmont State, completing the season sweep of their MEC adversary. They are the No. 1 team in the Atlantic Region by a wide margin but aren’t quite out of the woods yet, with Concord and Glenville State on the schedule. Just keep winning, and the Atlantic is theirs.
No. 5 DBU | Previous: 7. Now winners of 11 in a row — tied for third-longest in DII — the Patriots are building some breathing room in the LSC East Division, especially with that victory over then-nationally ranked St. Mary’s (TX). Lubbock Christian is heating up and could make the LSC very interesting in the tournament. For now, DBU has the highest KPI in its region and leads the South Central as the host seed. Pair that with all those wins, and you have a top-five team.
No. 6 Colorado School of Mines | Previous: 8. The Orediggers have won six in a row and 14 of their last 15. That seems pretty impressive in a season without much consistency. They are No. 2 in the South Central and have a top 20 KPI. I’ve said it before, but I like how this team spreads the floor. They can score and defend and, in a wild South Central, have to be seen as one of the top contenders.
No. 7 Lincoln Memorial | Previous: First five out. Not only did the Railsplitters avenge their earlier two-point loss to nationally ranked Lenoir-Rhyne; they defeated the Bears by 28 points to extend their winning streak to six. By the metrics, the ‘Splitters may be third in the Southeast, but this team is cooking and, in my eyes, the team to beat in the region. They have a pair of Bevo Francis Award top 50 in Wes Enis and Elyjah Freeman — the latter of which is a mere freshman and one of the best players in all DII.
No. 8 Columbus State | Previous: First five out. Okay, going back to those metrics, statistically speaking, these Cougars are the team to beat in the Southeast Region. They best USC Aiken in both KPI and RPI and hold the host seed at the moment, which is why they are making their first-ever appearance in the Power 10. They’ve won five in a row, including Saturday’s victory over those Pacers to give them the season sweep. Hopefully, you are paying attention to Jarrett Adderton, who is quietly having a very nice season, leading the Cougars with 470 points and 43 steals. The Cougars have a big matchup against USC Beaufort and an always-tricky Flager team remaining, so their spot in the Power 10 is very fluid.
No. 9 Washburn | Previous: 2. The Ichabods had a nightmare week, dropping a game to 14-10 Northeastern State and 10-14 UAFS. Those are must-win games this time of year and why the ‘Bods take such a large stumble. That said, let’s not underestimate how good this team is because of one bad week. You don’t get to 22-0 by accident. They are still the top team in the Central and have the third-best KPI with a pair of Bevo Francis Award top 50 players leading the way. These two losses could be just what the Ichabods need — a reason for people to sleep on them.
No. 10 Point Loma| Previous: 10. I didn’t like that loss to Westmont, but it is the Sea Lions’ lone loss in their last 12 games. Plus, it came in overtime, so for now, with all the other losses, they hold tight to this final spot. But there is very little wiggle room. This team is still No. 1 in the West Region by a pretty significant margin and has a top 10 KPI, so the metrics are there. So is the talent, as they have the best record in the West against the toughest SoS in the entire region.
First five (ish) out (in alphabetical order):
Sometimes, it’s just too close to call. That was the case this week, with six teams making the cut.
- Florida Southern. Yes, this team lost two of its last four, but the metrics still say the Mocs are one of the best teams in DII. So do I.
- Lubbock Christian. I know, you think I’m nuts. But you also thought I have been nuts having Nova Southeastern as the No. 1 team over two undefeated teams for the past month, so I accept it at this point. Yes, the Chaps are a six-loss team, but can we talk about this resume? They have wins against both Colorado School of Mines and DBU. They have won eight in a row and nine of their last 10. Look at the now: Four of the Chaps’ six losses came before the winter break when plenty of teams are still finding their way. This team is winning games — significant games at that — and is a lot better than you think.
- Michigan Tech. Let’s get crazy. In a week where teams were losing major matchups, the Huskies took down nationally ranked Ferris State and Lake Superior State in three days. Per Inkblot Sports, they are now No. 2 in the Midwest and have the second-best KPI in the Midwest Region.
- Missouri S&T. The Miners are still the top team in the Midwest Region and have one of the top KPIs, but two losses in their last three games is worrisome enough to see them fall this week.
- Valdosta State. That loss to Delta State stings, but this team is still a point-scoring machine.
