Rush 18th, play at home in GCAC tourney Friday

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana climbed three places to 18th Tuesday in the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll.

The Gold Rush (22-8) closed the regular season with three consecutive victories, the last a 67-41 home victory Saturday against city rival Dillard. Xavier will be the No. 2 seed in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament and will play Friday against seventh-seeded Dillard at XU's Convocation Center. Starting times are expected to be announced by noon Wednesday.

Xavier is in the top 25 for the 48th consecutive poll. That's the longest current streak of top-25 appearances among NAIA DI men.

The GCAC Tournament's No. 1 seed, Talladega, is No. 1 nationally for the third consecutive week. The Tornadoes received all 10 first-place votes.

The top 25:

1. Talladega
2. Hope International
3. Cal State San Marcos
4. Freed-Hardeman
5. Dalton State
6. Pikeville
7. (tie) Concordia (Calif.)
7. (tie) Campbellsville
9. Martin Methodist
10. LSU-Alexandria
11. Georgetown (Ky.)
12. Columbia (Mo.)
13. Wayland Baptist
14. Mid-America Christian
15. Montana Western
16. Benedictine (Kan.)
17. Our Lady of the Lake
18. Xavier
19. Arizona Christian
20. Lewis-Clark State
21. Westmont
22. Evangel
23. Oklahoma City
24. Southwestern Assemblies of God
25. LSU-Shreveport


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director  XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
https://twitter.com/xulagold
https://www.facebook.com/