Rush 24th in postseason poll for second consecutive year

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana is 24th for the second consecutive year in the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Postseason Poll.

The Gold Rush (24-8) arrived there after dropping eight spots from the previous poll on March 6 — and 11 places in the final two polls. Opening-round losses to Dillard in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament and to Faulkner in the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship helped bring the Rush down in the rankings.

Xavier was 19th in the preseason poll and spent seven weeks in the top 15, including a high of 11th place on Jan. 22. The Gold Rush were one of six teams to drop seven or more places and remain in the top 25.

This is the third consecutive year and the fourth time in Dannton Jackson's 10 seasons as head coach that the Gold Rush are in the final top 25 of the season. This is the second consecutive year that the final poll was conducted after the national tournament.

Xavier will enter the 2013-14 season trying to extend a streak of 24 consecutive top-25 appearances. The Gold Rush have appeaered in the top 25 in 37 of the last 38 polls.

NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Postseason Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through end of season) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Georgetown (Ky.) (11) 28-8 281 tie-13 2 Southwestern Assemblies of God 33-5 272 6 3 Lindsey Wilson 33-5 262 2 4 LSU-Shreveport 27-7 254 25 5 Columbia (Mo.) 35-1 245 1 6 Montana Western 24-10 228 tie-13 7 John Brown 28-7 223 4 8 Lee (Tenn.) 30-4 221 3 9 Evangel 26-7 211 9 10 Culver-Stockton 26-9 187 RV 11 Oklahoma Baptist 25-8 177 10 12 Westmont 25-8 166 11 13 MidAmerica Nazarene 26-10 163 RV 14 Faulkner 29-6 162 18 15 Pikeville 26-7 159 8 16 Martin Methodist 21-11 152 tie-20 17-tie Hope International 26-8 137 tie-16 17-tie Cal State San Marcos 23-7 137 7 19 Lewis-Clark State 26-6 134 5 20 Concordia (Calif.) 23-11 112 23 21 William Carey 25-6 106 12 22 Philander Smith 25-8 94 22 23 St. Thomas (Texas) 28-6 80 tie-20 24 Xavier 24-8 78 tie-16 25 Emmanuel (Ga.) 28-5 67 15 Others receiving votes: Montana State Northern 66, Arizona Christian 52, Life 37, Science & Arts 30, Voorhees 11, Rocky Mountain 7, Bethel (Tenn.) 5, Campbellsville 4.

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