Leaders of the Pack! Statesmen #1 in NAIA
Oskaloosa–For the sixth time in program history and first time in nearly four years, the William Penn men’s basketball team is the top team in the country as the NAIA released its fifth top-25 poll Wednesday.
Winners of eight in a row, WPU (19-1, 10-1 Heart) is #1 with 552 points and 14 first-place votes. It marks the 57th-consecutive time the navy and gold have been in the top 25 and the 14th-straight time they have been in the top five. It is also the third different season in which the Statesmen have been in the top spot (four times in 2012-2013, once in 2017-2018).
William Penn is one of two representatives from the Heart of America Athletic Conference in the poll as Evangel is unofficially 37th. The programs meet up in Springfield, Mo. Saturday in a Heart bout at 2 p.m.
Following the Statesmen are Talladega (Ala.) and former #1 Loyola (La.); both teams have three first-place votes. Oklahoma Wesleyan and Indiana Wesleyan round out the top five.
William Penn travels to Peru, Neb. Wednesday to face Peru State in Heart play at 7:30 p.m.
NAIA Men’s Basketball Rating #5 – January 26, 2021
(Number in parentheses is first-place votes)
1. William Penn (14)
2. Talladega (Ala.) (3)
3. Loyola (La.) (3)
4. Oklahoma Wesleyan
5. Indiana Wesleyan
6. William Jessup (Calif.)
7. Thomas More (Ky.)
8. Arizona Christian
9. SAGU (Texas)
10. College of Idaho
11. LSU Alexandria (La.)
12. Carroll (Mont.)
13. Georgetown (Ky.)
14. Grace (Ind.)
15. Science & Arts (Okla.)
16. Saint Francis (Ind.)
17. Hope International (Calif.)
18. Southeastern (Fla.)
19. Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)
20. Montana Tech
21. Faulkner (Ala.)
22. Indiana-South Bend
23. Bethel (Kan.)
24. Marian (Ind.)
25. Briar Cliff
Receiving Votes: Alice Lloyd (Ky.) 128; Concordia (Neb.) 73; Oregon Tech 68; WVU Tech (W.Va.) 45; Tennessee Southern 40; Stillman (Ala.) 38; Florida College 26; Southwestern (Kan.) 26; Indiana Tech 23; Jamestown (N.D.) 20; Northwestern 16; Evangel (Mo.) 10; Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 7; LSU Shreveport (La.) 7; Texas A&M Texarkana 6; Missouri Baptist 6; Texas Wesleyan 4; IU Kokomo (Ind.) 3.
