NABC & Basketball Times Release Men's Basketball DII Preseason Rankings & Top 25 All-America Team

NABC & Basketball Times Release Men's Basketball DII Preseason Rankings & Top 25 All-America Team

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Defending national champion Bellarmine, who returns two All-America performers from a team that captured its first NCAA Division II title last March, comes into the upcoming 2011-12 season as the nation's top-ranked team in both the NABC/DII and Basketball Times preseason polls.  Queens was ranked in both polls and two conference players were selected for Basketball Times All-America Team.


NOTE:  Listed below the NABC/Division II pre-season rankings are Basketball Times Rankings along with their preseason All-America Team.



KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Defending national champion Bellarmine, who returns two All-America performers from a team that captured its first NCAA Division II title last March, comes into the upcoming 2011-12 season as the nation's top-ranked team in the NABC/Division II men's basketball pre-season coaches poll.

The Knights, who posted a 33-2 record and knocked off BYU-Hawaii in a thrilling championship game a year ago, were a unanimous pick for the No. 1 spot in the poll as they return All-America guards Jeremy Kendle and Braydon Hobbs.  Bellarmine was followed in the pre-season rankings by two other teams that played in the Elite Eight a year ago, Alabama-Huntsville and BYU-Hawaii, which returns the Elite Eight's Most Outstanding Player in Jet Chang.

Two defending conference champions, Missouri Southern and Lincoln Memorial, took the next two spots in the pre-season poll, followed by last year's final No. 1-ranked team, West Liberty.  The Hilltoppers will have to replace a talented starting lineup, but still figures to be a force with their fast-paced style of play.

Findlay is ranked seventh in the pre-season poll, followed by Tarleton State, Bowie State and Metropolitan State.  Central Oklahoma, who is playing as an NCAA Division II independent this season, begins the second 10 at No. 11, meaning that the first 11 spots in the poll are occupied by teams from 10 different conferences and the independent ranks.  Southern Indiana broke that run as the second team from the Great Lakes Valley Conference in the poll as the Screaming Eagles are ranked No. 12, with the next three spots being held by Benedict, Humboldt State and Kentucky Wesleyan.

Augustana is ranked No. 16 in the pre-season poll, followed by Alaska-Anchorage, Colorado School of Mines, Indiana (Pa.) and Saint Rose.  The last five spots are held by Georgia Southwestern, Seattle Pacific, Massachusetts-Lowell, Arkansas Tech and Queens (N.C.).  The 2011-12 season gets underway this weekend with the Disney/Division II Classic in Anaheim, Calif., featuring UC San Diego, Chestnut Hill, Dominican (Calif.) and Western Washington.

NABC/Division II Coaches Poll (Nov. 1, 2011 - Pre-Season Poll)
Record Points Pvs
1. Bellarmine, Ky. (8 first place votes) 33-2 200 2
2. Alabama-Huntsville 29-5 187 7
3. BYU-Hawaii 22-9 179 NR
4. Missouri Southern 26-5 166 9
5. Lincoln Memorial, Tenn. 27-3 153 10
6. West Liberty, W.Va. 33-1 142 1
7. Findlay, Ohio 24-4 130 NR
8. Tarleton State, Texas 24-6 124 17
9. Bowie State, Md. 23-6 121 19
10. Metropolitan State, Colo. 22-8 118 NR
11. Central Oklahoma 30-4 112 4
12. Southern Indiana 24-6 105 12
13. Benedict, S.C. 21-8 100 24
14. Humboldt State, Calif. 26-4 73 6
15. Kentucky Wesleyan 19-10 72 NR
16. Augustana, S.D. 18-9 69 NR
17. Alaska-Anchorage 24-10 68 NR
18. Colorado School of Mines 25-6 61 20
19. Indiana, Pa. 26-6 57 21
20. Saint Rose, N.Y. 22-9 50 NR
21. Georgia Southwestern 20-9 48 NR
22. Seattle Pacific, Wash. 20-10 40 NR
23. Massachusetts-Lowell 20-10 28 NR
24. Arkansas Tech 25-6 22 14
25. Queens, N.C. 21-8 20 NR

Others receiving votes: Winona State (Minn.) 18, LIU-C.W. Post (N.Y.) 17, Limestone (S.C.) 15, Hillsdale (Mich.) 11, Central Missouri 10, Montevallo (Ala.) 10, Rollins (Fla.) 10, Christian Brothers (Tenn.) 8, Bentley (Mass.) 7, Cal Poly Pomona 7, Grand Valley State (Mich.) 7, West Texas A&M 7, Clayton State (Ga.), Florida Southern 5, Northern Kentucky 5, Drury (Mo.) 4, Harding (Ark.) 4, Fort Hays State (Kan.) 3, Bloomfield (N.J.) 2.

Records and previous rankings are final from the 2010-11 season.  The first regular season poll will be released on Tuesday, Nov. 29.




Basketball Times: NCAA Division II Top 20

1.        Bellarmine, Ky. (33-2)
2.        Lincoln Memorial, Tenn. (27-3)
3.        West Liberty, W. Va. (33-1)
4.        Alabama-Huntsville (29-5)
5.        BYU-Hawaii (22-9)
6.        Benedict, S.C. (21-8)
7.        Missouri Southern State (26-5)
8.        Augustana, S.D. (18-9)
9.        Metropolitan State, Colo. (22-8)
10.    UMass.-Lowell (20-10)
11.    Bowie State, N.C. (23-6)
12.    Saint Rose, N.Y. (22-9)
13.    Findlay, O. (24-4)
14.    Georgia Southwestern (20-9)
15.    Queens, N.C. (21-8)
16.    Clayton State, Ga. (19-10)
17.    Montevallo, Ala. (19-11)
18.    Humboldt State. Calif. (26-4)
19.    Kentucky Wesleyan (19-10)
20.    Central Oklahoma (30-4)
 
NCAA DIVISION II
 
TOP 25 ALL-AMERICA TEAM
Jason Adams, Missouri Southern State                                 6-5       Sr.
Stefan Bonneau, C.W. Post (N.Y.)                                       5-10     Sr.
Phillip Brown, Georgia Southwestern                                    6-7       Sr.
Zane Campbell, Alabama-Huntsville                                      6-8       Jr.
Jet Chang, BYU-Hawaii                                                       6-3       Sr.
Jarrell Douglass, Limestone (S.C.)                                                   6-5       Sr.
Reggie Evans, Metropolitan State (Colo.)                             6-4       Sr.
Marcus Goode, Benedict (S.C.)                                           6-10     Jr.
Patrick Grubbs, Pitt.-Johnstown (Pa.)                                   6-8       Sr.  
Rob Gutierrez, Saint Rose (N.Y.)                                         6-0       Sr.
Ali Haidar, Michigan Tech                                                    6-7       Jr.
Cedric Harris, West Liberty (W. Va.)                                   6-0       Soph.
Braydon Hobbs, Bellarmine (Ky.)                                        6-5       Sr.
Randy Hunter, Humboldt State (Calif.)                                 6-6       Sr.
Travis Hyman, Bowie State (N.C.)                                       7-0       Sr.
Desmond Johnson, Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.)                        6-6       Sr.
Jeremy Kendle, Bellarmine (Ky.)                                           6-2       Jr.
Josh Magette, Alabama-Huntsville                                         6-1       Sr.                        
Cameron McCaffrey, Augustana (S.D.)                                 6-1       Jr.  
Trevin Parks, Johnson C. Smith (N.C.)                                  5-11     Jr.
Taylor Rohde, Alaska-Anchorage                                          6-9       Sr.
Cody Schilling, Augustana (S.D.)                                           6-5       Sr.
Derek Staton, Mount Olive (N.C.)                                                          5-9       Sr.
Odell Turner, Wingate (N.C.)                                                 6-6       Jr.
Anthony Young, Kentucky Wesleyan                                      6-7       Sr.