Statesmen Open Season at #4, Collect Three First-Place Votes
Oskaloosa–The William Penn men’s basketball team returns to a familiar place near the top of the rankings as the NAIA released its preseason top-25 poll Wednesday.
WPU (2-0) is #4 with 543 points; the team has also received three of the 21 first-place votes. It marks the 51st-consecutive time the Statesmen have been in the top 25.
The navy and gold are one of two representatives from the Heart of America Athletic Conference in the rating as Benedictine also appears at #18.
Defending national champion Shawnee State (Ohio) is #1 with 567 points and 11 first-place votes. Saint Francis (Ind.) is second (one first-place vote), while Southwestern Assemblies of God (Texas) (five votes) is third and Loyola (La.) is fifth. LSU Shreveport is sixth, but has the final first-place nod.
The Statesmen return to Oskaloosa Saturday to host William Woods in non-conference action at 7 p.m.
NAIA Men’s Basketball Preseason Rating – October 27, 2021
(Number in parentheses is first-place votes)
1. Shawnee State (Ohio) (11)
2. Saint Francis (Ind.) (1)
3. SAGU (Texas) (5)
4. William Penn (3)
5. Loyola (La.)
6. LSU Shreveport (1)
7. Arizona Christian
8. Bethel (Kan.)
9. Indiana Wesleyan
10. Carroll (Mont.)
11. Talladega (Ala.)
12. Morningside
13. Oregon Tech
14. Marian (Ind.)
15. Science & Arts (Okla.)
16. Oklahoma Wesleyan
17. Stillman (Ala.)
18. Benedictine (Kan.)
19. Jamestown (N.D.)
20. Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)
21. Georgetown (Ky.)
22. The Master’s (Calif.)
23. Thomas More (Ky.)
24. College of Idaho
25. Indiana South Bend
Receiving Votes: LSU Alexandria 94, Faulkner (Ala.) 93, Dillard (La.) 79, Indiana Tech 55, Vanguard (Calif.) 45, Mid-America Christian (Okla.) 42, Grace (Ind.) 27, WVU Tech (W.Va.) 23, Warner (Fla.) 23, Xavier (La.) 22, Ottawa (Kan.) 21, Union (Ky.) 19, Antelope Valley (Calif.) 15, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 9, Central Baptist (Ark.) 9, Concordia (Neb.) 8, John Brown (Ark.) 7, Texas A&M Texarkana 6, Montana Tech 5, Keiser (Fla.) 5.
