Statesmen Enter Offseason Ranked 30th
William Penn University Athletics
Oskaloosa–The William Penn men’s basketball team will have a big carrot dangling in front of them during their offseason workouts after the NAIA Division II postseason poll was released Monday.
William Penn (17-15, 12-6 MCC) is unofficially 30th with 19 votes, up ten huge spots from being tied for 40th in the final regular season poll. It is the highest ranking for the program this year and sets up the navy and gold for an ever better ranking to start next year as it loses just one player from this roster.
That player is Second-Team All-American Alan Douglas (Sr., Champaign, Ill., Lakeland CC), but even with his departure, 78% of the team’s scoring from this campaign still remains.
National champion Oregon Tech is a unanimous #1 with 343 votes and all 13 first-place votes. Northwood (Fla.), the national runner-up, is second, while Davenport (Mich.), McPherson (Kan.), and Dordt round out the top five. Davenport knocked the Statesmen out of the national tourney with a tight 85-81 first-round win.
MCC regular season and tournament champion St. Ambrose is the lone Midwest Collegiate Conference squad in the top 25 at #17, while Ashford, who will now move to the list of NAIA Independents is unofficially 33rd.
The state of Iowa is well represented with three more teams from the Great Plains Athletic Conference (#5 Dordt, #9 Northwestern, #20 Briar Cliff) also in the poll.
NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Postseason Rating – March 19, 2012
(Number in parentheses is first-place votes)
(Iowa Institutions bolded)
1. Oregon Tech (13)
2. Northwood (Fla.)
3. Davenport (Mich.)
4. McPherson (Kan.)
5. Dordt
6. Cardinal Stritch (Wis.)
7. Northwest (Wash.)
8. Bellevue (Neb.)
9. Northwestern
10. St. Thomas (Fla.)
11. Jamestown (N.D.)
12. Grace (Ind.)
13. Indiana-Southeast
14. Warner Pacific (Ore.)
15. Warner (Fla.)
16. Indiana Wesleyan
17. St. Ambrose
18. Marian (Ind.)
19. St. Francis (Ind.)
20. Briar Cliff
21. Indiana Tech
22. Saint Mary (Kan.)
23. Indiana-East
24. Daemen (N.Y.)
25. Cornerstone (Mich.)
Others receiving votes: Eastern Oregon 68; Tennessee Wesleyan 66; Cal Maritime 43; Valley City State (N.D.) 34; William Penn 19; Dakota State (S.D.) 11; Lourdes (Ohio) 5; Ashford 4; Reinhardt (Ga.) 1; Southeastern (Fla.) 1.
