Xavier Nuggets move up to 15th, Rush still 19th in NAIA polls

NEW ORLEANS — The Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball team climbed one place to 15th, its highest position of the season, in the NAIA Division I coaches poll. The XU men are 19th for the second consecutive week.

The polls, the sixth of the season, were announced late Monday afternoon, just before Xavier's doubleheader at Tougaloo.

The Gold Nuggets are in the top 25 for the 24th consecutive time. The Gold Rush appear in the top 25 for the 17th time in 18 polls.

Both XU teams were unbeaten this past week, recording home victories against Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opponents Philander Smith and Talladega.

Freed-Hardeman's women and Shorter's men are top ranked for the second consecutive week.

The only other ranked GCAC school is Tougaloo, which is 24th in the men's poll and climbed one place.

Xavier is one of 10 schools with women's and men's teams in the top 25. The other schools are Azusa Pacific, Georgetown (Ky.), Lee (Tenn.), Lindsey Wilson, MidAmerica Nazarene, Union (Tenn.), Shorter, Westmont and Southern Nazarene.

NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, Jan. 22)
Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Freed-Hardeman (12) 18-2 312 1
2 Oklahoma City 17-1 301 2
3 Union (Tenn.) 19-2 293 3
4 Westmont 18-1 281 4
5 Lee (Tenn.) 19-1 269 6
6-tie Lewis-Clark State 18-2 254 7
6-tie Cumberlands 18-1 254 8
8 Langston 17-1 247 5
9 Lubbock Christian 14-3 233 9
10 Vanguard 13-3 223 10
11 Shawnee State 16-4 212 12
12 Azusa Pacific 13-5 199 13
13 Saint Xavier 14-5 196 11
14 Olivet Nazarene 17-3 184 14
15 Xavier 16-5 169 16
16 Southern Nazarene 14-5 156 15
17 Georgetown (Ky.) 14-6 151 tie-18
18 Belhaven 16-5 148 tie-18
19 Campbellsville 14-7 132 17
20 Westminster (Utah) 11-7 113 21
21 MidAmerica Nazarene 15-6 111 24
22 William Woods 13-5 96 25
23 Loyola 15-2 92 23
24 Shorter 14-4 84 RV
25 Lindsey Wilson 14-7 64 20

Others receiving votes: Robert Morris (Chicago) 46, Lyon 45, Columbia (Mo.) 33, LSU-Shreveport 29, Rogers State 28, Avila 20, Biola 6, Texas Wesleyan 3, Oklahoma Baptist 1, Our Lady of the Lake 1, Bethel (Tenn.) 1, Rocky Mountain 1, St. Catharine 1, Rio Grande 1.

NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, Jan. 22)
Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Shorter (12) 18-0 312 1
2 Robert Morris (Chicago) 19-1 302 3
3 Oklahoma Baptist 16-2 288 2
4 Georgetown (Ky.) 17-3 279 tie-7
5 Southern Poly 15-3 273 4
6 Rogers State 16-3 257 5
7 Our Lady of the Lake 15-3 248 10
8 Lindsey Wilson 15-4 240 11
9 Martin Methodist 15-4 237 9
10 The Master's 14-5 229 RV
11 Texas Wesleyan 14-3 194 13
12 Westmont 14-3 192 16
13 Montana State Northern 18-3 191 12
14 Southern Nazarene 15-4 190 14
15 Mountain State 14-6 187 15
16 Azusa Pacific 15-4 162 tie-7
17 Lee (Tenn.) 13-4 141 18
18 Concordia (Calif.) 15-4 133 6
19 Xavier 14-5 130 19
20 Montana Western 16-5 114 22
21 Columbia (Mo.) 16-5 94 24
22 MidAmerica Nazarene 14-7 84 RV
23 Pikeville 12-7 76 RV
24 Tougaloo 15-5 71 25
25 Union (Tenn.) 13-7 64 RV

Others receiving votes: Saint Xavier 63, John Brown 50, Evangel 43, Freed-Hardeman 29, Science & Arts 28, Point Loma Nazarene 21, Cal State San Marcos 14, Westminster (Utah) 10, St. Catharine 8, Avila 3, LSU-Shreveport 3, Oklahoma Christian 1, Cumberland 1, Southwestern Assemblies of God 1, Voorhees 1.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA