Gold Rush in final top 25 for the second consecutive year

NEW ORLEANS — Despite slipping six places over two polls, the Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball team is in the top 25 of the final NAIA Division I coaches poll for the second straight season. It's the first time the Gold Rush have appeared in consecutive final top-25s during Dannton Jackson's nine seasons as head coach.

The Gold Rush (23-9) were 24th in the final poll announced Monday. Xavier dropped three places since the March 7 poll.

Xavier was 17th in the final poll of 2011, which was conducted before the national tournament.

Xavier is in the top 25 for the 11th consecutive time and the 24th time in 25 polls dating to the start of the 2010-11 season. The Gold Rush were 21st in the preseason poll of Oct. 24 and climbed as high as 18th on Jan. 9 and Feb, 27.

The Gold Rush lost 66-63 to LSU-Shreveport on March 15 in the opening round of the national tournament at Kansas City, Mo. Xavier earned a share of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championship for the third time during Jackson's tenure but lost in the semifinals of the conference tournament.

National champion Concordia (Calif.) was unanimously chosen No. 1.

Athletics Awards Banquet

6 p.m. on Friday, April 20 at University Center Ballroom Call (504) 520-7329 to purchase tickets

NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Tuesday, March 20)

 Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Concordia (Calif.) (10) 31-7 250 4
2 Oklahoma Baptist 32-5 242 2
3 Shorter 34-3 234 1
4 Mountain State 26-9 223 11
5 Georgetown (Ky.) 26-9 202 14
6 Biola 27-9 201 10
7 LSU-Shreveport 27-8 197 12
8 Rogers State 24-9 196 9
9 Martin Methodist 28-7 193 5
10 Robert Morris (Chicago) 27-5 186 3
11 Southern Poly 24-7 178 6
12 Our Lady of the Lake 27-8 163 7
13 Columbia (Mo.) 27-7 145 15
14 Lindsey Wilson 21-10 141 8
15 Point Loma Nazarene 21-10 139 16
16 Montana Western 25-10 134 20
17 John Brown 24-9 130 13
18 Lee (Tenn.) 20-9 107 17
19 MidAmerica Nazarene 25-9 105 22
20 SUNO 18-14 89 NR
21 Montana State Northern 27-7 86 18
22 Evangel 24-10 83 RV
23 Texas Wesleyan 25-8 75 19
24 Xavier 23-9 63 21
25 Southern Nazarene 23-10 53 25

Others receiving votes: Campbellsville 52, Azusa Pacific 40, Olivet Nazarene 27, Tougaloo 21, Cumberlands 20, Freed-Hardeman 15, Cumberland 10, Life 6, Westmont 3, Pikeville 1, Baker 1, Saint Xavier 1.

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