No, nothing has changed at the top. Nova Southeastern and Washburn are dominating the DII men's basketball court as expected. What is unexpected is the surge of Lone Star Conference teams in the latest DII men's basketball Power 10 rankings.
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This week, Lubbock Christian climbs another spot while West Texas A&M, St. Mary's (TX) and St. Edward's join the conversation. Combined, the four are off to a 27-0 start and certainly deserve to be in the mix. As LSC play opens, this could be a conference to watch for the best hoops in DII this year... or some teams may come back to reality after a somewhat softer nonconference schedule.
The DII menâs basketball Power 10 rankings are mine and mine alone. There is no input from any voting body or the NCAA selection committee. I try to combine selection committee metrics (like in-region wins, wins against ranked/winning teams and strength of schedule to name a few) and what is happening on the court, a blend of the national polls and regional rankings, if you would. What is unique to the DII men's basketball rankings is that, unlike DII football and baseball, these rankings go every other week, allowing for a lot of fluctuation... which we once again see this week.
The DII menâs basketball Power 10
(through Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025)
No. 1 Nova Southeastern | Previous: 1. The Sharks picked up two more lopsided wins, improving to 4-0 since the last Power 10. They broke the century mark in both wins, with a lot of players are contributing. Ross Reeves is on fire, averaging 25.2 points per game, posting his first double-double of the year and notching consecutive games with nine steals â now averaging a DII-best six steals per game. Jaxon Nap has been a welcomed addition, averaging 16.5 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds per game. This team has a nice blend of firepower and experience that make them tough to beat.
No. 2 Washburn | Previous: 2. The Ichabods are cruising, now 8-0 on the season (albeit the last two blowout wins were against non-DII programs). Jack Bachelor continues to lead the balanced scoring attack, but Dillon Claussen, Bryson Smith and Jeremiah Jones are all capable scorers, combing for 56.6 of the teamâs 96.0 points per game. They are set to open MIAA play with a ton of momentum.
No. 3 Daemen | Previous 3. The Wildcats are cruising, now 8-0 with signature wins against nationally ranked Fairmont State and Lenoir-Rhyne. Benjamin Bill is actually better than he was last year, which was tough to top. He has double-doubled in five of his first eight games, averaging 19.0 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. While Justin Hemphill is a dangerous part of the Wildcats' dynamic duo, it is the breakout of Zach Philipkoski (16.8 points, 6.1 rebounds per game) that gives Daemen an extra edge.
No. 4 Lubbock Christian | Previous: 5. The Chaps are a perfect 6-0 on the season. They have showed their dominance throughout the South Central Region, now 4-0 against the RMAC with resume-building wins against then-nationally ranked Colorado School of Mines and a Colorado Mesa team receiving votes. All five starters are averaging double figures in scoring, propelling the Chaps to win games by an average margin of victory of 20.8 points. They enter LSC play this week.
No. 5 Southern Nazarene | Previous: NR. Welcome to the Power 10 party, Crimson Storm. Southern Nazarene is off to a 6-0 start and jump up the rankings from the unranked to No. 6. Baron Bracey is an early name to watch for DII player of the year, averaging 17.2 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. He has double-doubled in five of his first six games, and if he can improve his shooting just a bit, heâll be dropping 20 points per game sooner than later. Tracy Godfrey Jr. (12.8 points, 7.5 rebounds per game) and Bam Johnson (12.8 points and a team-high 23 assists and 10 steals) help make this a dangerous team, allowing just 69.7 points per game.
No. 6 Alabama Huntsville | Previous Just missed. The Chargers continue to climb the ladder. What is most impressive is how quickly this new-look team is gelling, scoring 98.5 points per game with an average margin of victory of 20.5 points. Quentin Toles, who transferred from Kentucky Wesleyan, is on fire with four 20-point games in his first six starts. Another transfer, Thomas Allard from Lincoln Memorial, is off to a hot start as well, averaging 17.2 points and a team-high 7.7 rebounds per game. The Chargers are 5-1 and that one loss was an 8-point loss to Nova Southeastern. This team is impressive.
No. 7 West Texas A&M | Previous: NR. The Lone Star Conference is insane with four undefeated teams in this weekâs Power 10 rankings. The Buffs enter the top 10 behind a 7-0 record and edge out St. Edwardâs and St, Maryâs (TX) thanks to a stronger strength of schedule. They are winning games by 20.4 points per game and have four legitimate scorers, led by Fontaine Williams and his 18.4 points per game. Seems too many slept on West Texas A&M because it didnât make it the Round of 16 as the Buffs often do, but Tom Brown has his team back in the conversation.
No. 8 North Georgia | Previous: 10. The Nighthawks make a huge jump, staying undefeated sitting at 6-0 as PBC play is set to open. They picked up a huge signature win in the Southeast Region against a very talented and nationally ranked Carson-Newman the day before Thanksgiving. A.J. White continues to lead the way, scoring 19.0 points per game, but there is a huge however here. The Nighthawks are winning games by fewer than five points an outing. Staying undefeated is unsustainable at that rate, so finding some offensive help for White will be highly beneficial once conference play begins.
No. 9 Point Loma | Previous: 4. This is where it is going to get dicey because I have a pair of one-loss teams ahead of several undefeated teams. No, Point Loma should not have lost to Seattle Pacific. But yes, the Sea Lions are still a very strong basketball team. They have played a tougher schedule than the other teams considered for this spot (St. Edward's and St. Mary's), and they have meaningful wins against Cal State Dominguez Hills, Cal State San Bernardino and Central Washington â must wins if a team wants to win the West Region. They blend star power with solid basketball. This is still a top-10 team.
No. 10 Michigan Tech | Previous 9. I left the Huskies in the mix after a stunning loss last time, and they responded with four straight wins. Not only that, they held opponents to 56.0 points per game over that span, with no team scoring more than 61. In fact, this team has yet to allow 80 points to any opponent in seven games. The status of Marcus Tomashek, who missed the last game, is a huge factor as GLIAC play opens this week, but this defense is going to account for a lot of wins.
Just missed (in alphabetical order)
- Fairmont State. The Fighting Falcons rebounded from a tough loss to Daemen with a pair of wins in which they dropped 93 and 96 points, respectively. This team is going to win a lot of high-scoring affairs.
- Florida Southern. Much like Lubbock Christian, the Mocs' 6-1 start is almost mind-blowing with the amount of talent they lost this offseason. It is even more impressive when you consider they are one basket away from being 7-0.
- Gannon. I am a bit confused on what to make of the Golden Knights. They blew out nationally ranked Findlay 101-79 and then stomped CIAA preseason favorite Virginia State 95-53. In between, they lost to a 3-3 Lake Superior State team that they had a halftime lead against. Losses happen in DII, especially early on, and at 5-1 and scoring 96.8 points per game, Gannon is still plenty good.
- Missouri S&T. The Miners are 3-0, but we are at the point of the season where meaningful basketball matters. The Miners have two wins against NAIA and NCCAA teams with a combined 1-14 record, and only one matchup against DII schools. No matter how talented this team appears, I simply canât keep them in the top 10 with teams that have played six to eight games against DII competition.
- St. Edwardâs. The Hilltoppers are 9-0 overall, but it is important to point out that four of those wins are out of division and do not factor into selection metrics. Still, this team has signature wins over DBU, Central Washington and Colorado Mesa, giving them an early edge in a stacked South Central.
- St. Maryâs (TX). The Rattlers certainly have their fangs out, crushing the early portion of their schedule to a 5-0 start. They are winning games by an average of 19.4 points per game and have yet to allow more than 65 points in a game.
- West Liberty. This is not the West Liberty team we have come to know. There is a new coaching regime and a new-look starting five. Still, the Hilltoppers are 3-1 and seem like they are on the verge of getting back to that high-tempo style that just wins ball games.
Also considered: Assumption, Black Hills State, Carson-Newman, Grand Valley State, Lenoir-Rhyne
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