KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Following their second consecutive trip to the NAIA Round of 16, the Northwestern men’s basketball team is ranked No. 8 in the NAIA Preseason Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. Defending national champion College of Idaho is first in the poll, followed by Arizona Christian, Georgetown (Ky.), Langston (Okla.), and Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) in the top five.
The Raiders return three starters and all-conference performers from last year’s NAIA tournament team in Kaleb Booth, Jalen Langsy, and the GPAC Freshman of the Year Jesse Van Kalsbeek. Northwestern had one of the top offenses in the country, leading the nation in three-point percentage (42.3%) and sitting fifth in assists per game (17.6) and points per game (89.5).
Northwestern has four teams represented in the poll on its schedule in No. 15 Ave Maria (Fla.), No. 19 Morningside, No. 24 Friends (Kan.), and RV Dordt.
GPAC IN THE TOP 25
No. 8 Northwestern Red Raiders
No. 19 Morningside Mustangs
RV Dordt Defenders
| Rank | Institution [First-Place Votes] | 2024-25 Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | College of Idaho [11] | 35-2 | 525 |
| 2 | Arizona Christian [5] | 30-5 | 513 |
| 3 | Georgetown (Ky.) [2] | 29-5 | 473 |
| 4 | Langston (Okla.) [1] | 26-8 | 447 |
| 5 | Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) | 30-6 | 438 |
| 6 | Indiana Wesleyan | 22-10 | 397 |
| 7 | Grace (Ind.) | 29-6 | 365 |
| 8 | Northwestern (Iowa) | 27-6 | 364 |
| 9 | The Master’s (Calif.) | 26-6 | 363 |
| 10 | Oklahoma Wesleyan | 28-8 | 345 |
| 11 | Montana Tech | 24-7 | 336 |
| 12 | Pikeville (Ky.) | 25-7 | 321 |
| 13 | LSU Alexandria (La.) | 31-3 | 320 |
| 14 | Southern Oregon | 23-11 | 318 |
| 15 | Ave Maria (Fla.) | 25-7 | 269 |
| 16 | Bethel (Ind.) | 24-9 | 191 |
| 17 | Nelson (Texas) | 24-9 | 178 |
| 18 | Dalton State (Ga.) | 24-7 | 177 |
| 19 | Morningside (Iowa) | 25-8 | 176 |
| 20 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 24-9 | 155 |
| 21 | Indiana Tech | 23-8 | 128 |
| 22 | Life (Ga.) | 27-7 | 127 |
| 23 | Graceland (Iowa) | 24-8 | 115 |
| 24 | Friends (Kan.) | 24-8 | 106 |
| 25 | Keiser (Fla.) | 26-6 | 94 |
Receiving Votes: Dordt (Iowa) 90; Georgia Gwinnett 76; LSU Shreveport (La.) 53; Saint Mary (Kan.) 48; Hope International (Calif.) 33; Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 29; Central Baptist (Ark.) 24; Johnson (Tenn.) 16; Oregon Tech 11; Rio Grande (Ohio) 8; Peru State (Neb.) 6; Spring Arbor (Mich.) 5; Madonna (Mich.) 4; Mid-America Christian (Okla.) 2
