Statesmen Fall to #14
William Penn University Athletics
by Wade Steinlage
Oskaloosa–A rough couple of weeks has the William Penn men’s basketball team outside of the top 10 for the first time in nearly three years as the NAIA released its fourth Division I rating Tuesday.
The Statesmen (16-5, 10-5 Heart) dropped to 14th with 127 points, snapping a streak of 21-consecutive times in which WPU was in the top four and 24 times in a row it was in the top 10.
WPU is one of four squads from the Heart of America Athletic Conference in the entire rating. Benedictine now leads the group at #3 with one first-place vote, while Peru State is up to #11. Graceland is in the receiving votes section as well in 29th.
LSU Alexandria is still #1 with the other eight first-place votes, while Carroll (Mont.) is second. Vanguard (Calif.) and Missouri Baptist round out the top five.
William Penn is home Saturday, hosting MidAmerica Nazarene in Heart action at 4 p.m.
NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Rating #4 – January 29, 2019
(Number in parentheses is first-place votes)
1. LSU Alexandria (8)
2. Carroll (Mont.)
3. Benedictine (Kan.) (1)
4. Vanguard (Calif.)
5. Missouri Baptist
6. Tougaloo (Miss.)
7. The Master’s (Calif.)
8. Georgetown (Ky.)
9. Stillman (Ala.)
10. Wayland Baptist (Texas)
11. Peru State (Neb.)
12. Langston (Okla.)
13. William Carey (Miss.)
14. William Penn
15. Wiley (Texas)
15. Pikeville (Ky.)
17. Cumberlands (Ky.)
18. William Jessup (Calif.)
18. Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)
20. Bethel (Tenn.)
21. John Brown (Ark.)
22. Rocky Mountain (Mont.)
23. LSU Shreveport
24. Arizona Christian
25. Providence (Mont.)
Others Receiving Votes: St. Thomas (Texas) 37, Hope International (Calif.) 36, Science & Arts (Okla.) 23, Graceland 19, Life (Ga.) 13, Loyola (La.) 13, Campbellsville (Ky.) 11, Dillard (La.) 10, SAGU (Texas) 10, William Woods (Mo.) 3, Talladega (Ala.) 3.
