The latest release of the NABC Division II Men’s Basketball Poll is out and Fort Hays State’s school-record streak of regular season rankings comes to an end at 36. The Tigers drop out of this week’s poll following their loss at Northwest Missouri State Saturday. The Tigers were ranked No. 23 last week but are still receiving votes in this week’s poll.
The streak started in 2009-10 when the Tigers broke into the Top 25 in the third regular season poll released that season. The Tigers remained in the Top 25 for 13 consecutive polls that season. The Tigers ran their streak to 28 straight weeks as they were referenced in all 15 polls of 2010-11. It was just the third season in which the Tigers were in every regular season poll, joining the 1995-96 and 1996-97 teams to accomplish that feat. FHSU was just one of eight teams to be referenced in the Top 25 of all 15 polls last year.
After a hot 7-0 start, Fort Hays State was No. 24 in the first regular season poll of the current 2011-12 season. That matched the school record of being referenced in 29 consecutive regular season polls, which occurred from the 1995-96 season through the 1997-98 season. The Tigers broke that record by seeing their largest leap ever in consecutive polls, jumping 14 spots to No. 10 in the nation in the second poll of the season. FHSU reached as high as No. 8 in the nation in the fifth poll released, but have slowly faded down the rankings since. By remaining in eight consecutive polls to open the season, Fort Hays State ran its new record streak to 36 consecutive polls.
The MIAA still has two teams in the Top 25 this week, which includes Northwest Missouri State at No. 22 and Missouri Southern at No. 23. This is the second time Northwest Missouri has jumped into the Top 25 this season. Northwest Missouri is tied for the MIAA lead at 10-3 with Central Missouri, which received votes along with FHSU this week. Missouri Southern and FHSU are currently tied for fourth in the conference.
Below is the NABC Division II Poll for January 31…
|
Team
|
Record
|
Points
|
||
|
1.
|
Bellarmine (Ky.) |
18-1
|
200
|
(8 first place votes) |
|
2.
|
West Liberty (W.Va.) |
19-1
|
191
|
|
|
3.
|
Tarleton State (Texas) |
19-1
|
185
|
|
|
4.
|
Winona State (Minn.) |
19-2
|
176
|
|
|
5.
|
Colorado School of Mines |
17-2
|
158
|
|
|
6.
|
Alabama-Huntsville |
15-3
|
146
|
|
|
7.
|
Kentucky Wesleyan |
16-3
|
145
|
|
|
8.
|
Southern Indiana |
16-3
|
140
|
|
|
9.
|
Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.) |
18-2
|
135
|
|
|
10.
|
Christian Brothers (Tenn.) |
15-3
|
113
|
|
|
11.
|
Midwestern State (Texas) |
16-2
|
112
|
|
|
12.
|
Metropolitan State (Colo.) |
17-3
|
108
|
|
|
13.
|
Indiana (Pa.) |
16-3
|
106
|
|
|
14.
|
Shaw (N.C.) |
16-2
|
91
|
|
|
15.
|
Northern Kentucky |
15-4
|
79
|
|
|
16.
|
Western Washington |
18-3
|
78
|
|
|
17.
|
Bowie State (Md.) |
15-3
|
75
|
|
|
18.
|
Hillsdale (Mich.) |
17-2
|
71
|
|
|
19.
|
West Georgia |
18-3
|
63
|
|
|
20.
|
St. Cloud State (Minn.) |
16-3
|
48
|
|
|
21.
|
Alaska-Anchorage |
15-4
|
42
|
|
|
22.
|
Northwest Missouri State |
16-3
|
37
|
|
|
23.
|
Missouri Southern |
16-5
|
15
|
|
|
24.
|
South Carolina Aiken |
15-4
|
12
|
|
|
T25
|
King (Tenn.) |
17-3
|
11
|
|
|
T25
|
Winston-Salem State (N.C.) |
15-3
|
11
|
|
|
Others receiving votes: Arkansas Tech 8, District of Columbia 8, Cal Poly Pomona 6, Central Missouri 6, Indianapolis (Ind.) 6, LIU-C.W. Post (N.Y.) 5, Seattle Pacific (Wash.) 5, Montevallo (Ala.) 3, Fort Hays State (Kan.) 2. Stonehill (Mass.) 2, Adelphi (N.Y.) 1. MIAA Teams in Bold |
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