KANSAS CITY, Mo. – After a 6-0 start to the season, the Northwestern men’s basketball team moved up to No. 3 in the NAIA Coaches’ Poll, receiving one first-place vote.
Northwestern possesses one of the top offenses in the NAIA, sitting second in the nation in points per game (105.7) and leading the country in field goal percentage (60.5%). The Raiders already have a win over now-No. 18 Friends (Kan.), while also picking up a key win on the road at Clarke (Iowa). Individually, Jesse Van Kalsbeek is second in the NAIA in points per game (33.7) and Jalen Langsy is fifth (32.3).
Indiana Wesleyan jumped five spots to No. 1, receiving six first-place votes. Arizona Christian was No. 2 with 11 first-place votes, while Northwestern received a first-place vote at No. 3. Rounding out the top five is Grace (Ind.) and Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.).
GPAC IN THE TOP 25
No. 3 Northwestern Red Raiders
RV Morningside Mustangs
RV Dordt Defenders
| Trend | Rank | Last Time | INSTITUTION [First-Place Votes] | Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▲ | 1 | 6 | Indiana Wesleyan [6] | 5-0 | 489 |
| ● | 2 | 2 | Arizona Christian [11] | 5-1 | 483 |
| ▲ | 3 | 8 | Northwestern (Iowa) [1] | 5-0 | 468 |
| ▲ | 4 | 7 | Grace (Ind.) | 5-0 | 436 |
| ● | 5 | 5 | Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) | 4-1 | 428 |
| ▲ | 6 | 11 | Montana Tech | 5-0 | 424 |
| ▼ | 7 | 4 | Langston (Okla.) | 3-1 | 412 |
| ▲ | 8 | 15 | Ave Maria (Fla.) | 5-0 | 361 |
| ▲ | 9 | 22 | Life (Ga.) | 4-0 | 354 |
| ▲ | 10 | 18 | Dalton State (Ga.) | 4-0 | 332 |
| ▲ | 11 | RV | Saint Mary (Kan.) | 5-0 | 325 |
| ▲ | 12 | 20 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 6-0 | 323 |
| ▼ | 13 | 10 | Oklahoma Wesleyan | 3-1 | 319 |
| ▼ | 14 | 13 | LSU Alexandria (La.) | 2-1 | 250 |
| ▲ | 15 | 16 | Bethel (Ind.) | 3-0 | 246 |
| ▼ | 16 | 1 | College of Idaho | 2-2 | 245 |
| ▼ | 17 | 3 | Georgetown (Ky.) | 3-2 | 223 |
| ▲ | 18 | 24 | Friends (Kan.) | 3-1 | 184 |
| ▲ | 19 | RV | Oregon Tech | 2-1 | 178 |
| ▼ | 20 | 17 | Nelson (Texas) | 4-1 | 172 |
| ● | 21 | 21 | Indiana Tech | 2-1 | 171 |
| ▲ | 22 | NR | Columbia (Mo.) | 5-0 | 126 |
| ▲ | 23 | RV | Hope International (Calif.) | 3-0 | 105 |
| ▲ | 24 | NR | Montana Western | 5-1 | 104 |
| ● | 25 | 25 | Keiser (Fla.) | 2-1 | 86 |
Dropped from Top 25: Graceland (Iowa), Morningside (Iowa), Pikeville (Ky.), The Master’s (Calif.)
Receiving Votes: MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) 75; LSU Shreveport (La.) 58; Texas Wesleyan 41; Dordt (Iowa) 37; Huntington (Ind.) 35; Georgia Gwinnett 27; Bethel (Kan.) 17; Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 16; Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 16; Shawnee State (Ohio) 9; Wayland Baptist (Texas) 8; Florida Memorial 6; Southwestern (Kan.) 4; The Master’s (Calif.) 2; Pikeville (Ky.) 2
