Tuesday, October 28, 2014

No. 13 Rush open at home vs. Belhaven on Wednesday

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana will begin the 2014-15 men's basketball season with its highest preseason ranking in seven years.

The Gold Rush, 23-9 a year ago, were 13th in the NAIA Division I Coaches' Preseason Top 25 poll announced Tuesday. It's the fifth consecutive season that the XU men are in the preseason top 25.

Xavier will open the season with games against Belhaven on Wednesday and Carver on Friday. Both will tip off at 7 p.m. at XU's Convocation Center. Xavier will play eight of its first nine games at home.

The Gold Rush are in the top 25 for the 38th consecutive time — the longest active streak in the division — and the 51st time in the last 52 polls. The last time the Gold Rush held a higher preseason ranking was 10th place in 2007-08.

Xavier is one of three Gulf Coast Athletic Conference teams in the top 25. Talladega is No. 5, and Philander Smith is No. 23. Xavier won its third consecutive GCAC regular-season title in 2013-14, and Talladega beat Philander Smith in the GCAC Tournament championship game. All three qualified for last season's Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship.

Before the first regular-season poll on Dec. 9, Xavier will play No. 9 William Carey at home on Dec. 1 and a pair of games with Wiley, which received votes. Xavier will open its GCAC schedule Jan. 5 at Talladega, then play Philander Smith at home on Jan. 10.

Defending champion Vanguard was chosen No. 1 unanimously.

    
NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches'
Preseason Top 25 Poll

(first-place votes in parentheses — records from 2013-14 season)

RankTeamRecordPointsLast
1Oklahoma City (8)27-4249 1
2Freed-Hardeman (2)36-2243 2
3Vanguard 27-22293
4Westminster (Utah)26-32264
5Campbellsville32-42225
6Wiley30-52046
7John Brown28-81947
8Oklahoma Baptist29-61929
9Bethel (Tenn.)23-1118816
10Baker27-716311
11-tieLoyola23-1216215
11-tie Our Lady of the Lake27-51628
13Westmont20-1014818
14The Master's24-914212
15Lewis-Clark State27-613017
16MidAmerica Nazarene28-412713
17Georgetown (Ky.)21-912410
18Xavier24-1012319
19Lindsey Wilson19-12109NR
20Columbia (Mo.)26-810514
21Montana State-Northern22-109420
22Mobile23-964RV
23Hope International23-105922
24Langston20-1358RV
25Central Methodist22-946NR

Others receiving votes: Lyon 45, Cumberlands 35, Wayland Baptist 34, Cumberland 29, Shawnee State 28, Martin Methodist 11, William Woods 11, Concordia (Calif.) 10, SUNO 9, Mid-America Christian 4, Carroll (Mont.) 4.
 

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

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