Welcome to the second DII men's basketball Power 10 rankings of the season. Not much changed as the top six teams all went perfect over Thanksgiving week, but we do have a new school entering the rankings.
Here's a quick refresher on the Power 10 rankings. These are my picks, and mine alone. I base them off several categories that the DII men's basketball selection committee will use come NCAA DII tournament time such as — but not limited to — ranked teams beaten, record against winning teams, strength of schedule and average scoring margin.
RANKINGS: krikya18.com preseason top 25 | Week 1 DII Power 10
DII men's basketball Power 10: Dec. 2
(Note: All records and stats through games played Sunday, Dec. 1.)
No. 1 Northwest Missouri State | 7-0 | Previous: 1
Forty-five straight wins. What else needs to be written? Well, how about this: with all the star power the Bearcats possess, it was freshman Wes Dreamer who led Northwest to victory this week. The rookie recorded his first career double-double with 29 points and 14 rebounds in a 35-point win over then-undefeated Illinois Springfield.
WIN STREAK TRACKER: Follow Northwest Missouri State's run at history
No. 2 Bellarmine | 5-0 | Previous: 2
The Knights keep rolling and are a perfect 4-0 at Knights Hall which has proven to be one of the toughest places to play in college basketball. Bellarmine has a huge road test this week, traveling to 7-0 Indianapolis to open Great Lakes Valley Conference play.
No. 3 Nova Southeastern | 4-0 | Previous 3
Another week, another 100-point performance. The Sharks are steamrolling the competition, winning by 45.2 points a game behind a DII-best 111.3 points per night. If teams can't figure out how to slow down Mark Matthews and Nick Smith, the Sharks are going to keep winning big.
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No. 4 West Texas A&M | 8-0 | Previous: 4
The Buffs hosted the WT Pak-A-Sak Thanksgiving Classic and came out undefeated, taking down the competition in two 50-point wins. Qua Grant and Joel Murray are still the dynamic duo of the Lone Star Conference, averaging 44.5 of West Texas A&M's 103 points per game.
No. 5 UC San Diego | 8-0 | Previous: 5
The Tritons are 8-0 for the first time as a DII program after sweeping through the NDNU Thanksgiving Classic. The trio of Chris Hansen, Christian Oshita and Tyrell Roberts are combining for 53 points and 17.1 rebounds per night, giving the Tritons a potent offense that has been able to win relatively easy so far.
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MORE: Starting Five | The DII report
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: How it works |2019 Recap | 2019 Bracket
No. 6 Indiana (Pa) | 6-0 | Previous: 6
Last week, I spoke about the Crimson Hawks having a balanced rotation that ran six or seven deep in players. They showed exactly that in IUP's win this week with six players scoring in double digits for a 21-point victory. It's relatively smooth sailing to close out 2019 with a big showdown against 6-1 Shippensburg looming on Dec. 21.
No. 7 Lincoln Memorial | 8-1 | Previous: 7
That opening night loss to West Texas A&M may have been the best loss the Railsplitters could have had. They continue to score big points, now winners of eight in a row with two wins this past week. Four of the five starters are dropping double-digit points a night, while Courvoisier McCauley is blossoming into a South Atlantic player of the year contender.
No. 8 Southern Indiana| 5-0 | Previous: 9
The Screaming Eagles had another big win this past week, its largest of the season to be exact. They scored 121 points in a 63-point win as Josh Price recorded his second double-double of the season. Southern Indiana will get its first conference test this week at McKendree but close out 2019 on its home court where the Screaming Eagles are already 3-0 this season.
THANKSGIVING TOURNEYS: Chaminade's history at the Maui Invitational
No. 9 Daemen | 8-1 | Previous: 10
The Wildcats keep moving up, this week behind a 83-57 victory over USciences. Andrew Sischo — one of the player of the year candidates — had a tremendous game, recording his eighth double-double game behind a season-high 20 rebounds. He makes the Wildcats tough down low.
No. 10 Alabama Huntsville | 6-0 | Previous: NR
The Chargers just missed last week, and going 2-0 during Thanksgiving week helped propel them into their first Power 10 of the season. So, what do we know about UAH so far? The starting rotation is deep, with JJ Kaplan (13.5 points, 11.8 rebounds per game) leading four scorers in double-digit averages. The Chargers can go three deep on the bench as well with reliable scorers and role players. A big matchup against Valdosta State awaits on Dec. 15.
Just missed (in alphabetical order):
Florida Southern and Southeastern Oklahoma State are now firmly on the radar, new to the "just missed" category this week. Southeastern Oklahoma State is 4-0 against four teams with winning records, while Florida Southern has now defeated two teams either ranked or receiving votes in national polls this season.
- Ashland
- Ferris State
- Florida Southern
- Missouri Southern
- Saint Anselm
- Southeastern Oklahoma State
- Queens (NC)
- West Liberty
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