INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The West Liberty University men’s basketball team was back in a familiar spot when the first set of Atlantic Region rankings were released Wednesday night by the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Ranking Committee.
Coach Jim Crutchfield’s defending regional champions, who were No. 1 in every Atlantic Region ranking a year ago when they went undefeated in the regular season, have ridden a 21-game win streak back to the top of this year’s inaugural regional listing.
The first set of regional rankings included games through Sunday and features six of the eight teams which competed in last season’s Atlantic Regional tournament hosted by the Black and Gold.
Following the Hilltoppers in the regional rankings is Shaw (N.C.), which battled West Liberty to the wire a year ago in a thrilling Atlantic Regional semifinal at the ASRC. West Virginia Conference rivals Charleston and Alderson-Broaddus hold down the Nos. 3 and 4 spots, respectively, with Bowie State (Md.) rounding out the top five.
Charleston and A-B didn’t make it to the regional last season but Bowie State advanced to the semifinals before falling to Indiana (Pa.), which holds down the No. 6 spot in this week’s rankings.
Winston-Salem State, which dropped a regional quarterfinal test to fellow CIAA power Shaw last March, is No. 7 with Wheeling Jesuit at No. 8. West Virginia Wesleyan, which came up short against Indiana (Pa.) in last year’s quarterfinals, is No. 9 with Mercyhurst (Pa.) slipping into the rankings at No. 10.
West Virginia Conference teams occupy five of the 10 spots in this week’s rankings with three teams from the CIAA and two from the PSAC rounding out the list.
The regional rankings will be released each Wednesday through March 7. The top 8 teams in the final set of regional rankings will receive bids to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional tournament.
West Liberty, which is once again leading the nation in scoring at 104.0 ppg., clinched its third straight WVIAC title on Monday with a 107-73 romp past Alderson-Broaddus.
The Hilltoppers return to action on Thursday with a 7:30 p.m. game at West Virginia State.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Rankings
(Through games of Sunday, Feb. 12)
Overall Div. II
Team Record Record
1. WEST LIBERTY 22-1 21-1
2. Shaw (NC) 20-2 19-2
3. Charleston 19-5 19-4
4. Alderson-Broaddus 17-5 17-5
5. Bowie State (MD) 19-4 18-4
6. Indiana, Pa. 18-4 17-4
7. Winston-Salem State (NC) 17-5 15-5
8. Wheeling Jesuit 16-7 16-7
9. W.Va. Wesleyan 15-6 15-6
10. Mercyhurst (PA) 15-7 15-7
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