William Penn Drops to #3 in Fifth Poll
William Penn University Athletics
by Wade Steinlage
Oskaloosa–The Statesmen men’s basketball team lost for the first time since December, but did not give up much ground in the standings as the fifth NAIA Division I poll was released Tuesday.
WPU (23-2, 13-2 Heart) has fallen out of the top spot which it held the last two polls, down to a tie for #3 with 202 points. Despite the setback, the navy and gold’s streak near the top remains intact. William Penn is in the top five for the 15th-consecutive poll and in the top 10 for the 18th-straight rating.
The NAIA’s only program with one loss, The Master’s (Calif.) is the unanimous new #1 with 219 points and all nine first-place votes. LSU Shreveport is second, while Pikeville (Ky.) is tied with WPU for third. Columbia (Mo.) rounds out the top five.
Fellow Heart of America Athletic Conference foes Central Methodist and Graceland both made huge jumps in the ranking; CMU is now #7, while GU is tied at #24. Peru State remains in the receiving votes section at #32.
William Penn travels to Canton, Mo. Wednesday to face Culver-Stockton in Heart play at 7:30 p.m.
NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Rating #5 – February 13, 2018
(Number in parentheses is first-place votes)
1. The Master’s (Calif.) (9)
2. LSU Shreveport
3. William Penn
3. Pikeville (Ky.)
5. Columbia (Mo.)
6. Carroll (Mont.)
7. Central Methodist (Mo.)
8. Westmont (Calif.)
9. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)
10. Montana Western
11. Georgetown (Ky.)
12. Oklahoma City
13. Hope International (Calif.)
14. William Carey (Miss.)
15. Dalton State (Ga.)
16. Our Lady of the Lake (Texas)
16. Science & Arts (Okla.)
18. LSU Alexandria
19. Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)
20. Texas Wesleyan
21. Life (Ga.)
22. Central Baptist (Ark.)
22. Xavier (La.)
24. Cumberlands (Ky.)
24. Graceland
Others Receiving Votes: Dillard (La.) 44; SAGU (Texas) 26; Harris-Stowe State (Mo.) 18; Wayland Baptist (Texas) 14; Campbellsville (Ky.) 13; Wiley (Texas) 13; Peru State (Neb.) 10; Missouri Baptist 9; Vanguard (Calif.) 5; William Jessup (Calif.) 3.
